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  • Ion acceleration in multisp...
    Kar, S; Kakolee, K F; Qiao, B; Macchi, A; Cerchez, M; Doria, D; Geissler, M; McKenna, P; Neely, D; Osterholz, J; Prasad, R; Quinn, K; Ramakrishna, B; Sarri, G; Willi, O; Yuan, X Y; Zepf, M; Borghesi, M

    Physical review letters, 11/2012, Volume: 109, Issue: 18
    Journal Article

    The acceleration of ions from ultrathin foils has been investigated by using 250 TW, subpicosecond laser pulses, focused to intensities of up to 3 × 10(20) W cm(-2). The ion spectra show the appearance of narrow-band features for protons and carbon ions peaked at higher energies (in the 5-10 MeV/nucleon range) and with significantly higher flux than previously reported. The spectral features and their scaling with laser and target parameters provide evidence of a multispecies scenario of radiation pressure acceleration in the light sail mode, as confirmed by analytical estimates and 2D particle-in-cell simulations. The scaling indicates that monoenergetic peaks with more than 100 MeV/nucleon are obtainable with moderate improvements of the target and laser characteristics, which are within reach of ongoing technical developments.