Aluminium plasma production at high laser intensity.

Thick and thin films of Al targets were irradiated in vacuum with iodine laser at 1315 nm wavelength, 300 ps pulse duration at a maximum intensity of about 1016W/cm² by varying the pulse energy and focal position. The laser-generated plasma was monitored in forward and backward directions by using ion collectors, SiC detectors, Thomson parabola spectrometer, and X-ray streak camera. Ion emission shows maximum proton energy of about 4MeV in self-focusing conditions and a maximum Al ion energy of about 50MeV. An evaluation of the electric field driving ions in conditions of target normal sheath acceleration is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]