Highly efficient accelerator of dense matter using laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration

Abstract

Acceleration of dense matter to high velocities is of high importance for high energy density physics, inertial confinement fusion, or space research. The acceleration schemes employed so far are capable of accelerating dense microprojectiles to velocities approaching 1000 km/s; however, the energetic efficiency of acceleration is low. Here, we propose and demonstrate a highly efficient scheme of acceleration of dense matter in which a projectile placed in a cavity is irradiated by a laser beam introduced into the cavity through a hole and then accelerated in a guiding channel by the pressure of a hot plasma produced in the cavity by the laser beam or by the photon pressure of the ultra-intense laser radiation trapped in the cavity. We show that the acceleration efficiency in this scheme can be much higher than that achieved so far and that sub-relativisitic projectile velocities are feasible in the radiation pressure regime. V

The LICPA accelerator of dense plasma and ion beams

“…In particular, it was shown that the basic, unique feature of the accelerator is extremely high energetic efficiency of acceleration  acc = E p /E L (E p is kinetic energy of the projectile, E L is energy of the laser beam) which for a light (CH) plasma projectile can reach the values even above 50% [2]. Here, we will present exemplary results demonstrating that the hydrodynamic LICPA accelerator can be an efficient tool for generation of high-current-density moderate-energy ion beams as well as acceleration of heavy (~ 10 g) macroparticles.…”

“…Main properties of the hydrodynamic LICPA accelerator were investigated experimentally and numerically in [2]. In particular, it was shown that the basic, unique feature of the accelerator is extremely high energetic efficiency of acceleration  acc = E p /E L (E p is kinetic energy of the projectile, E L is energy of the laser beam) which for a light (CH) plasma projectile can reach the values even above 50% [2].…”

“…An important part of the scheme is the guiding channel, which plays a role similar to that of a barrel in a conventional gun, allowing the accelerating forces to act for an extended period of time as well as collimating and compressing the accelerated matter. In dependence on the laser intensity and the pulse length, different regimes of the LICPA accelerator operation can be distinguished [2]. At relatively low laser intensities and moderately long laser pulses (say, at I L < 10 17 W/cm 2 and  L >10 -11 s) we can speak about a pure hydrodynamic LICPA regime, as the dominating force driving the projectile is due to the hydrodynamic pressure of hot plasma produced and confined in the accelerator cavity.…”

“…Laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) is a recently proposed [1,2] scheme of acceleration of dense matter having a potential to accelerate plasma macroparticles or ion beams with the energetic efficiency significantly higher than that achieved with other laser-based methods known so far. In the LICPA scheme, a projectile (e.g.…”

Laser nuclear fusion: current status, challenges and prospect

“…[36][37][38]); • studies of shock wave generation and non-linear interaction of laser with plasma at the conditions relevant to shock ignition (e.g. [39,40]).…”