CERN Accelerating science

Article
Title	Proton Acceleration and High-Energy Density Physics from Laser Foil Interactions
Author(s)	Norreys, Peter A ; Beg, Farhat N ; Dangor, A E ; Krushelnick, Karl ; Tatarakis, M ; Wei, M ; Zepf, Matthew
Affiliation	(CCLRC/RAL, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon) ; (Imperial College of Science and Technology, London) ; (New Affiliation Request Pending#) ; (Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland) ; (UCSD, La Jolla, California)
Publication	2005
In:	21st IEEE Particle Accelerator Conference, Knoxville, TN, USA, 16 - 20 May 2005, pp.573
Subject category	Accelerators and Storage Rings
Abstract	Intense laser plasma interactions have long been shown to be a source of very energetic ions - from the first experiments in the 1970's. However, there has been a recent revival of interest in the production of protons and ions from the such plasmas - primarily from the observation of collimated beams of protons and heavier ions which were observed at the rear thin foil targets irradiated by ultra-high intensity laser pulses (such that I > 1018 W/cm2). These ion beams have unique properties which may make them suitable for a variety of applications such as for probing high density plasmas, for fast ignition in inertial confinement fusion, as an ion source for subsequent acceleration stages in a particle accelerator or potentially for medical applications. Recent experimental results will be reviewed and the potential for such future applications will be highlighted.