Laser-driven proton acceleration and detection at high repetition rate

[ES]Durante más de dos décadas, la aceleración de protones impulsada por láser ha sido un campo importante de investigación con un interés potencial para varias aplicaciones en diferentes campos de la física, la química y la ciencia de los materiales, así como en el área biomédica y el patrimonio cultural. Sin embargo, la interacción láser-materia es un proceso complejo que todavía no está totalmente controlado y la interacción resultante depende principalmente de los parámetros del láser y del plasma. Se están desarrollando diversas actuaciones para comprender el proceso detrás de este mecanismo a través de la caracterización de las propiedades espectrales y espaciales del haz de protones. Con la llegada de los láseres de alta potencia que funcionan con alta repetición, por lo tanto, es esencial un desarrollo cuidadoso de diagnósticos de partículas adecuados para el análisis en tiempo real de disparo a disparo. La tesis doctoral se centra en la generación, transporte y detección de una fuente de protones generada por láser. En la primera parte de la tesis se explorará la teoría de los protones y los electrones rápidos generados por la interacción de un pulso láser ultra intenso en un plasma sobredenso. En la segunda parte, se presenta el desarrollo de un detector de protones basado en centelleo, capaz de medir tanto la energía del haz de protones como su distribución espacial y capaz de operar en un modo de alta repetición. El detector ha sido diseñado y construido en el Centro de Láseres Pulsados (CLPU) y probado en colaboración con instalaciones europeas. El trabajo relacionado con el desarrollo de este nuevo diagnóstico, incluidas las investigaciones tanto teóricas como experimentales, se describe en la tesis. La parte final de la tesis está dedicada a los experimentos de puesta en marcha del sistema láser de petavatio VEGA-3. Se presentan la implementación de nuestro detector de centelleo y los resultados preliminares del experimento.[EN]For more than two decades, laser-driven proton acceleration has been an important eld of research with a potential interest for several applications in di erent elds of physics, chemistry and material science as well as biomedical and cultural heritage. However, the laser-matter interaction is a complex process which is still not totally controlled and the resulting interaction depends mainly on laser and plasma parameters. Still many studies are carried out to understand the process behind this mechanism through the characterization of the spectral and spatial properties of the proton beam. With the advent of high power lasers working at high repetition rate, a careful development of particle diagnostics suitable for online shot-to shot analysis is therefore essential. The PhD thesis focuses on the generation, transport and detection of laser-driven proton source. The theory of protons and fast electrons driven by the interaction of ultra-intense laser pulse in overdense plasma will be explored in the rst part of the thesis. In a second part, the development of a scintillator-based proton detector, able to measure both the proton beam energy and its spatial distribution and capable of being set in a high repetition mode is presented. The detector has been designed and built at the Spanish Center for Pulsed Lasers (CLPU) and tested in collaboration with facilities across the EU. The work related to the development of this new diagnostic, including both theoretical and experimental investigations, is described in the thesis. The nal part of the thesis is dedicated to the commissioning experiments of the petawatt laser system VEGA 3, which has recently started the operation phase. Implementation of our scintillator detector and preliminary results of the experiment are presente

Innovative education and training in high power laser plasmas (PowerLaPs) for plasma physics, high power laser matter interactions and high energy density physics: experimental diagnostics and simulations

The second and final year of the Erasmus Plus programme "Innovative Education and Training in high power laser plasmas", otherwise known as PowerLaPs, is described. The PowerLaPs programme employs an innovative paradigm in that it is a multi-centre programme where teaching takes place in five separate institutes with a range of different aims and styles of delivery. The "in class" time is limited to four weeks a year, and the programme spans two years. PowerLaPs aims to train students from across Europe in theoretical, applied, and laboratory skills relevant to the pursuit of research in laser plasma interaction physics and inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Lectures are intermingled with laboratory sessions, and continuous assessment activities. The programme, which is led by workers from the Hellenic Mediterranean University, and supported by co-workers from Queens University Belfast, the University of Bordeaux, the Czech Technical University in Prague, Ecole Polytechnique, the University of Ioannina, the University of Salamanca, and the University of York, has just finished its second and final year. Six Learning Teaching Training (LTT) activities have been held, at the Queens University Belfast, the University of Bordeaux, the Czech Technical University, the University of Salamanca, and the Institute of Plasma Physics and Lasers (CPPL) of the Hellenic Mediterranean University. The last of these institute hosted two two-week long Intensive Programmes (IPs), whilst the activities at the other four universities were each five days in length. In addition to this a "Multiplier Event" was held at the University of Ioannina, which will be briefly described. In this second year the work has concentrated upon training in both experimental diagnostics and simulation techniques appropriate to the study of Plasma Physics, High Power Laser-Matter Interactions and High Energy Density Physics. The nature of the programme will be described in detail and some metrics relating to the activities carried out will be presented. In particular this paper will focus upon the overall assessment of the programme