Abstract

Direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in plasmas of near-critical density (NCD) is a very advancing platform for high-energy PW-class lasers of moderate relativistic intensity supporting Inertial Confinement Fusion research. Experiments conducted at the PHELIX sub-PW Nd:glass laser demonstrated application-promising characteristics of DLA-based radiation and particle sources, such as ultra-high number, high directionality and high conversion efficiency. In this context, the bright synchrotron-like (betatron) radiation of DLA electrons, which arises from the interaction of a sub-ps PHELIX laser pulse with an intensity of 1019 W/cm2 with pre-ionized low-density polymer foam, was studied. The experimental results show that the betatron radiation produced by DLA electrons in NCD plasma is well directed with a half-angle of 100–200 mrad, yielding (3.4 ± 0.4)·1010 photons/keV/sr at 10 keV photon energy. The experimental photon fluence and the brilliance agree well with the particle-in-cell simulations. These results pave the way for innovative applications of the DLA regime using low-density pre-ionized foams in high energy density research.

Details

Title
High-brightness betatron emission from the interaction of a sub picosecond laser pulse with pre-ionized low-density polymer foam for ICF research
Author
Gyrdymov, Mikhail 1 ; Cikhardt, Jakub 2 ; Tavana, Parysatis 3 ; Borisenko, Nataliya G. 4 ; Gus´kov, Sergey Yu. 4 ; Yakhin, Rafael A. 4 ; Vegunova, Galina A. 4 ; Wei, Wenqing 5 ; Ren, Jieru 5 ; Zhao, Yongtao 5 ; Hoffmann, Dieter H. H. 5 ; Deng, Zhigang 6 ; Zhou, Weimin 6 ; Cheng, Rui 7 ; Yang, Jie 7 ; Novotny, Jan 2 ; Shen, Xiaofei 8 ; Pukhov, Alexander 9 ; Jacoby, Joachim 1 ; Spielmann, Christian 10 ; Popov, Viacheslav S. 11 ; Veysman, Mikhail E. 12 ; Andreev, Nikolay E. 11 ; Rosmej, Olga N. 13 

 Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Applied Physics (IAP), Frankfurt am Main, Germany (GRID:grid.7839.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9721) 
 Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Prague, Czechia (GRID:grid.6652.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2173 8213) 
 Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Applied Physics (IAP), Frankfurt am Main, Germany (GRID:grid.7839.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9721); Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics (IOQ), Jena, Germany (GRID:grid.9613.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 1939 2794) 
 Russian Academy of Sciences, P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute (LPI), Moscow, Russia (GRID:grid.4886.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2192 9124) 
 Xi’an Jiaotong University, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi’an, China (GRID:grid.43169.39) (ISNI:0000 0001 0599 1243) 
 China Academy of Engineering Physics, Science and Technology On Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, Mianyang, China (GRID:grid.249079.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 0369 4132) 
 Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Modern Physics, Lanzhou, China (GRID:grid.9227.e) (ISNI:0000000119573309) 
 Peking University, Center for Applied Physics and Technology, HEDPS, and SKLNPT, School of Physics, Beijing, China (GRID:grid.11135.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 2256 9319) 
 Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Düsseldorf, Germany (GRID:grid.411327.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2176 9917) 
10  Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics (IOQ), Jena, Germany (GRID:grid.9613.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 1939 2794) 
11  Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Moscow, Russia (GRID:grid.4886.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2192 9124); Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Russia (GRID:grid.18763.3b) (ISNI:0000 0000 9272 1542) 
12  Russian Academy of Sciences, Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Moscow, Russia (GRID:grid.4886.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 2192 9124) 
13  Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Applied Physics (IAP), Frankfurt am Main, Germany (GRID:grid.7839.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9721); GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany (GRID:grid.159791.2) (ISNI:0000 0000 9127 4365); Helmholtz Forschungsakademie Hessen für FAIR, Frankfurt am Main, Germany (GRID:grid.159791.2) 
Pages
14785
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3072381646
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.