PAC2013 - List of Authors (Maharjan, C.)

Paper	Title	Page
MOPAC34	Spectral Broadening of Ions Accelerated by a Radiation Pressure Driven Shock	144
	N.M. Cook, P. Shkolnikov Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA N. Dover, Z. Najmudin Imperial College of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, London, United Kingdom C. Maharjan SBU, Stony Brook, New York, USA I. Pogorelsky, M.N. Polyanskiy, O. Tresca BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York, USA
	Funding: Work supported by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886 with the U.S. Department of Energy. Laser driven ion acceleration has been the focus of considerable research efforts since multi-MeV energies were first demonstrated. Most experiments use solid state laser pulses focused onto thin foil targets. However, recent progress in CO2 laser technology allows for the creation of intense pulses at λ ~10μm. The longer wavelength permits the use of low density targets. In these conditions ion acceleration is primarily driven by a shock wave due to the radiation pressure of the laser. This acceleration mode has the advantage of producing narrow energy spectra while scaling well with pulse intensity. New improvements to the CO2 laser at the Accelerator Test Facility allow for the unique production of single picoseconds-scale pulses with 1TW peak power. We report on the interaction of an intense CO2 laser pulse with overdense hydrogen and helium gas jets. Using a two pulse optical probe, we are able to obtain real-time density profiles at different times during the interaction, allowing for the characterization of shock wave velocities and peak density conditions. Ion energy spectra are measured using a Thomson spectrometer and scintillating screen. This work has been supported by the United States Department of Energy, Grant DE-FG02-07ER41488.

Paper

Title

Page

Spectral Broadening of Ions Accelerated by a Radiation Pressure Driven Shock

144

N.M. Cook, P. Shkolnikov
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
N. Dover, Z. Najmudin
Imperial College of Science and Technology, Department of Physics, London, United Kingdom
C. Maharjan
SBU, Stony Brook, New York, USA
I. Pogorelsky, M.N. Polyanskiy, O. Tresca
BNL, Upton, Long Island, New York, USA

Funding: Work supported by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC02-98CH10886 with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Laser driven ion acceleration has been the focus of considerable research efforts since multi-MeV energies were first demonstrated. Most experiments use solid state laser pulses focused onto thin foil targets. However, recent progress in CO2 laser technology allows for the creation of intense pulses at λ ~10μm. The longer wavelength permits the use of low density targets. In these conditions ion acceleration is primarily driven by a shock wave due to the radiation pressure of the laser. This acceleration mode has the advantage of producing narrow energy spectra while scaling well with pulse intensity. New improvements to the CO2 laser at the Accelerator Test Facility allow for the unique production of single picoseconds-scale pulses with 1TW peak power. We report on the interaction of an intense CO2 laser pulse with overdense hydrogen and helium gas jets. Using a two pulse optical probe, we are able to obtain real-time density profiles at different times during the interaction, allowing for the characterization of shock wave velocities and peak density conditions. Ion energy spectra are measured using a Thomson spectrometer and scintillating screen.
This work has been supported by the United States Department of Energy, Grant DE-FG02-07ER41488.