[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 2, 018 (2007)

Regular Articles

High Energy Electron Generation by Laser-Cone Interaction
Tatsufumi NAKAMURA, Hitoshi SAKAGAMI1), Tomoyuki JOHZAKI, Hideo NAGATOMO, Kunioki MIMA and James KOGA2)
Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University
1)
Theory and Computer Simulation Center, National Institute for Fusion Sciences
2)
Kansai Photon Science Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency
(Received 16 February 2007 / Accepted 17 April 2007 / Published 10 May 2007)

Abstract

Electron acceleration processes taking place in the interaction of ultra-intense laser pulses with cone targets are studied by using two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations to understand the characteristics of electrons generated from cone targets. It is explained that there are two dominant acceleration processes which are distinctive in the laser-cone interaction. One is the acceleration and transport along the side wall of the cone target, where electrons are guided along the side wall surface towards the cone tip by surface magnetic and electric fields. The second is the ponderomotive acceleration at the cone tip by the laser field which is intensified by cone focusing. The understanding of these acceleration processes helps to design cone targets to control the electron energy characteristics.

Keywords

laser-cone interaction, surface acceleration, ponderomotive force, proton acceleration

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.2.018

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Tatsufumi NAKAMURA, Hitoshi SAKAGAMI, Tomoyuki JOHZAKI, Hideo NAGATOMO, Kunioki MIMA and James KOGA, Plasma Fusion Res. 2, 018 (2007).