Yu-Tong Li

Fast ignition by laser driven particle beams of very high intensity

Anomalous observations using the fast ignition for laser driven fusion energy are interpreted and experimental and theoretical results are reported which are in contrast to the very numerous effects usually observed at petawatt-picosecond laser interaction with plasmas. These anomalous mechanisms result in rather thin blocks (pistons) of these nonlinear (ponderomotive) force driven highly directed plasmas of modest temperatures. The blocks consist in space charge neutral plasmas with ion current densities above 1010A∕cm2. For the needs of applications in laser driven fusion energy, much thicker blocks are required. This may be reached by a spherical configuration where a conical propagation may lead to thick blocks for interaction with targets. First results are reported in view of applications for the proton fast igniter and other laser-fusion energy schemes.

X-ray astronomy in the laboratory with a miniature compact object produced by laser-driven implosion

It has been suggested that the extreme states of matter generated by high-intensity lasers could allow conditions similar to those in the vicinity of black holes to be studied in the lab. The observation of striking similarities between the X-ray spectra emitted by a laser-driven laboratory plasma and those measured from two high-mass binary star systems suggests such potential has been realized.

Plasmoid Ejection and Secondary Current Sheet Generation from Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-Plasma Interaction

Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fanlike electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The (>1 MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS.

Dense quasi-monoenergetic attosecond electron bunches from laser interaction with wire and slice targets

A scheme is proposed to produce high-quality quasi-monoenergetic attosecond electron bunches based on laser ponderomotive-force acceleration along the surface of wire or slice targets. Two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the electron energy depends weakly on the target density. A simple analytical model shows that the electron energy scales linearly with the laser field amplitude, in good agreement with the simulation results. Electron bunches produced by this scheme are suitable for applications such as coherent x-ray radiation, radiography, and injectors in accelerators, etc.

Collisionless electrostatic shock generation and ion acceleration by ultraintense laser pulses in overdense plasmas

Collisionless electrostatic shock (CES) generation and subsequent ion acceleration in laser plasma interaction are studied numerically by particle-in-cell simulations. Usually a CES is composed of a high ion density spike surrounded by a bipolar electric field. Ions in front of it can be either submerged or reflected by the shock front. The submerged ions experience few oscillations before becoming part of the shock itself, while the reflected ions are accelerated to twice the shock speed. The effects of the target thickness, density, ion mass, preplasma conditions, as well as the laser intensity on the shock generation are examined. Simulations show that such shocks can be formed in a wide range of laser and target conditions. The characteristic of the shock propagation through a plane interface between two targets with different properties is also investigated. These results are useful for future experimental studies of shock generation and acceleration.

Intense High-Contrast Femtosecond K-Shell X-Ray Source from Laser-Driven Ar Clusters

Bright Ar quasimonochromatic K-shell x ray with very little background has been generated using an Ar clustering gas jet target irradiated with a 30 fs ultrahigh-contrast laser, with a measured flux of 2.2×10(11)   photons/J into 4π. This intense x-ray source critically depends on the laser contrast and intensity. The optimization of source output with interaction length is addressed. Simulations point to a nonlinear resonant mechanism of electron heating during the early stage of laser interaction, resulting in enhanced x-ray emission. The x-ray pulse duration is expected to be only 10 fs, opening the possibility for single-shot ultrafast keV x-ray imaging applications.

Opacity Studies of Silicon in Radiatively Heated Plasma

Measurements of the opacity of silicon at high temperature and high density are reported. A silicon dioxide foam was heated by eight nanosecond laser beams while a backlighter X-ray source was produced with a picosecond laser. Absorptions of the 1-2 transitions of Si XII through Si VI were observed in the wavelength range from 6.6 to 7.1 A. The experimental results are simulated with theoretical calculations under local thermodynamic equilibrium using a detailed level accounting model and can be reproduced in general when the effects of the oxygen in the SiO2 are taken into account.

Surface electron acceleration in relativistic laser-solid interactions

Under the grazing incidence of a relativistic intense laser pulse onto a solid target, two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that intense quasistatic magnetic and electric fields are generated near the front target surface during the interaction. Some electrons are confined in these quasistatic fields and move along the target surface with betatron oscillations. When this oscillating frequency is close to the laser frequency in the particle frame, these electrons can be accelerated significantly in the reflected laser field, similar to the inverse free-electron-laser acceleration. An analytical model for this surface betatron acceleration is proposed.

Polarization-dependent supercontinuum generation from light filaments in air

We investigate polarization-dependent properties of the supercontinuum emission generated from filaments produced by intense femtosecond laser pulses propagating through air over a long distance. The conversion efficiency from the 800-nm fundamental to white light is observed to be higher for circular polarization than for linear polarization when the laser intensity exceeds the threshold of the breakdown of air.

Demonstration of coherent terahertz transition radiation from relativistic laser-solid interactions

Coherent transition radiation in the terahertz (THz) region with energies of sub-mJ/pulse has been demonstrated by relativistic laser-driven electron beams crossing the solid-vacuum boundary. Targets including mass-limited foils and layered metal-plastic targets are used to verify the radiation mechanism and characterize the radiation properties. Observations of THz emissions as a function of target parameters agree well with the formation-zone and diffraction model of transition radiation. Particle-in-cell simulations also well reproduce the observed characteristics of THz emissions. The present THz transition radiation enables not only a potential tabletop brilliant THz source, but also a novel noninvasive diagnostic for fast electron generation and transport in laser-plasma interactions.