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The response of the BAS-TR image plate (IP) was absolutely calibrated using CR-39 track detector for high linear energy transfer (LET) Au ions up to $\sim$1.6 GeV (8.2 MeV/nucleon), accelerated by high-power lasers. The calibration was carried out by employing a high-resolution Thomson parabola spectrometer, which allowed resolving Au ions with closely spaced ionization states up to 58$^+$. A response function was obtained by fitting the photo-stimulated luminescence (PSL) per Au ion for different ion energies, which is broadly in agreement with that expected from ion stopping in the active layer of the IP. This calibration would allow quantifying the ion energy spectra for high energy Au ions, which is important for further investigation of the laser-based acceleration of heavy ion beams., Comment: 6 pages; 4 figures. Submitted to journal for review

At sufficiently high laser intensities, the rapid heating to relativistic velocities and resulting decompression of plasma electrons in an ultra-thin target foil can result in the target becoming relativistically transparent to the laser light during the interaction. Ion acceleration in this regime is strongly affected by the transition from an opaque to a relativistically transparent plasma. By spatially resolving the laser-accelerated proton beam at near-normal laser incidence and at an incidence angle of 30°, we identify characteristic features both experimentally and in particle-in-cell simulations which are consistent with the onset of three distinct ion acceleration mechanisms: sheath acceleration; radiation pressure acceleration; and transparency-enhanced acceleration. The latter mechanism occurs late in the interaction and is mediated by the formation of a plasma jet extending into the expanding ion population. The effect of laser incident angle on the plasma jet is explored.

A key issue in realising the development of a number of applications of high-intensity lasers is the dynamics of the fast electrons produced and how to diagnose them. We report on measurements of fast electron transport in aluminium targets in the ultra-intense, short-pulse (c) expanding region of Ohmic heating at the rear of the target, driven by lateral transport of the fast electron population inside the target. Simulations demonstrate that a broad angular distribution of fast electrons on the order of 60° is required, in conjunction with extensive recirculation of the electron population, in order to drive such lateral transport. These results provide fundamental new insight into fast electron dynamics driven by ultra-short laser pulses, which is an important regime for the development of laser-based radiation and particle sources.

Multiple ion acceleration mechanisms can occur when an ultrathin foil is irradiated with an intense laser pulse, with the dominant mechanism changing over the course of the interaction. Measurement of the spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of energetic protons is used to investigate the transition from radiation pressure acceleration to transparency-driven processes. It is shown numerically that radiation pressure drives an increased expansion of the target ions within the spatial extent of the laser focal spot, which induces a radial deflection of relatively low energy sheath-accelerated protons to form an annular distribution. Through variation of the target foil thickness, the opening angle of the ring is shown to be correlated to the point in time transparency occurs during the interaction and is maximized when it occurs at the peak of the laser intensity profile. Corresponding experimental measurements of the ring size variation with target thickness exhibit the same trends and provide insight into the intra-pulse laser-plasma evolution.

The role of low-temperature electrical resistivity in defining the transport properties of mega-Ampere currents of fast (MeV) electrons in solids is investigated using 3D hybrid particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. By considering resistivity profiles intermediate to the ordered (lattice) and disordered forms of two example materials, lithium and silicon, it is shown that both the magnitude of the resistivity and the shape of the resistivity-temperature profile at low temperatures strongly affect the self-generated resistive magnetic fields and the onset of resistive instabilities, and thus the overall fast electron beam transport pattern. The scaling of these effects to the giga-Ampere electron currents required for the fast ignition scheme for inertial fusion is also explored. This publication relates to the EPSRC funded project Advanced laser-ion acceleration strategies towards next generation healthcare (EP/K022415/1) and the EPSRC funded research fellowship Multi-PetaWatt laser-Plasma Interactions: A New Frontier in Physics (EP/J003832/1). This publication also relates to the dataset 'Data set for McKenna_PPCF_2015': https://pure.strath.ac.uk/portal/en/datasets/data-set-for-mckennappcf2015(19c2dd8f-4b3b-4155-b7eb-1d6c8f2874b9).html

Asymmetry in the collective dynamics of ponderomotively-driven electrons in the interaction of an ultraintense laser pulse with a relativistically transparent target is demonstrated experimentally. The 2D profile of the beam of accelerated electrons is shown to change from an ellipse aligned along the laser polarization direction in the case of limited transparency, to a double-lobe structure aligned perpendicular to it when a significant fraction of the laser pulse co-propagates with the electrons. The temporally-resolved dynamics of the interaction are investigated via particle-in-cell simulations. The results provide new insight into the collective response of charged particles to intense laser fields over an extended interaction volume, which is important for a wide range of applications, and in particular for the development of promising new ultraintense laser-driven ion acceleration mechanisms involving ultrathin target foils.

The first experimental measurements of intense (${\sim }7\times 10^{19}~ {\rm W}~ {\rm cm}^{-2}$) laser-driven terahertz (THz) radiation from a solid target which is preheated by an intense pulse of laser-accelerated protons is reported. The total energy of the THz radiation is found to decrease by approximately a factor of 2 compared to a cold target reference. This is attributed to an increase in the scale length of the preformed plasma, driven by proton heating, at the front surface of the target, where the THz radiation is generated. The results show the importance of controlling the preplasma scale length for THz production.

A new approach to rear surface optical probing is presented that permits multiple, time-resolved 2D measurements to be made during a single, ultra-intense ( > 1018 W cm−2) laser-plasma interaction. The diagnostic is capable of resolving rapid changes in target reflectivity which can be used to infer valuable information on fast electron transport and plasma formation at the target rear surface. Initial results from the Astra-Gemini laser are presented, with rapid radial sheath expansion together with detailed filamentary features being observed to evolve during single shots.

The influence of lattice-melt-induced resistivity gradients on the transport of mega-ampere currents of fast electrons in solids is investigated numerically and experimentally using laser-accelerated protons to induce isochoric heating. Tailoring the heating profile enables the resistive magnetic fields which strongly influence the current propagation to be manipulated. This tunable laser-driven process enables important fast electron beam properties, including the beam divergence, profile, and symmetry to be actively tailored, and without recourse to complex target manufacture.

The measured spatial-intensity distribution of the beam of protons accelerated from the rear side of a solid target irradiated by an intense (>1019 Wcm−2) laser pulse provides a diagnostic of the two-dimensional fast electron density profile at the target rear surface and thus the fast electron beam transport pattern within the target. An analytical model is developed, accounting for rear-surface fast electron sheath dynamics, ionization and projection of the resulting beam of protons. The sensitivity of the spatial-intensity distribution of the proton beam to the fast electron density distribution is investigated. An annular fast electron beam transport pattern with filamentary structure is inferred for the case of a thick diamond target irradiated at a peak laser intensity of 6 × 1019 Wcm−2.

Fast electron transport in Si, driven by ultraintense laser pulses, is investigated experimentally and via 3D hybrid particle-in-cell simulations. A transition from a Gaussian-like to an annular fast electron beam profile is demonstrated and explained by resistively generated magnetic fields. The results highlight the potential to completely transform the beam transport pattern by tailoring the resistivity-temperature profile at temperatures as low as a few eV.

Fast electron injection and transport in solid foils irradiated by sub-picosecond-duration laser pulses with peak intensity equal to 4 x 10(20)W/cm(2) is investigated experimentally and via 3D simulations. The simulations are performed using a hybrid-particle-in-cell (PIC) code for a range of fast electron beam injection conditions, with and without inclusion of self-generated resistive magnetic fields. The resulting fast electron beam transport properties are used in rear-surface plasma expansion calculations to compare with measurements of proton acceleration, as a function of target thickness. An injection half-angle of similar to 50 degrees - 70 degrees is inferred, which is significantly larger than that derived from previous experiments under similar conditions. (C) 2013 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4799726]

Three-dimensional hybrid particle-in-cell simulations are used to investigate the sensitivity of annular fast electron transport patterns in silicon to the properties of the drive laser pulse. It is found that the annular transport, which is induced by self-generated resistive magnetic fields, is particularly sensitive to the peak laser pulse intensity. The radius of the annular fast electron distribution can be varied by changing the drive laser pulse properties, and in particular the focal spot size. An ability to optically 'tune' the properties of an annular fast electron transport pattern could have important implications for the development of advanced ignition schemes and for tailoring the properties of beams of laser-accelerated ions.

Bright proton beams with maximum energies of up to 30MeV have been observed in an experiment investigating ion sheath acceleration driven by a short pulse (21 W cm-2 was investigated, with the interplay between target thickness and laser pre-pulse found to be a key factor. While the maximum proton energies observed were maximised for lm-thick targets, the total proton energy content was seen to peak for thinner, 500 nm, foils. The total proton beam energy reached up to 440 mJ (a conversion efficiency of 4%), marking a significant step forward for many laser-driven ion applications. The experimental results are supported by hydrodynamic and particle-in-cell simulations.

We report on a plasma half cavity target design for laser driven ion acceleration that enhances the laser to proton energy conversion efficiency and has been found to modify the low energy region of the proton spectrum. The target design utilizes the high fraction of laser energy reflected from an ionized surface and refocuses it such that a double pulse interaction is attained. We report on numerical simulations and experimental results demonstrating that conversion efficiencies can be doubled, compared to planar foil interactions, when the secondary pulse is delivered within picoseconds of the primary pulse.

The paper presents the calibration of Fuji BAS-TR image plate (IP) response to high energy carbon ions of different charge states by employing an intense laser-driven ion source, which allowed access to carbon energies up to 270 MeV. The calibration method consists of employing a Thomson parabola spectrometer to separate and spectrally resolve different ion species, and a slotted CR-39 solid state detector overlayed onto an image plate for an absolute calibration of the IP signal. An empirical response function was obtained which can be reasonably extrapolated to higher ion energies. The experimental data also show that the IP response is independent of ion charge states.