Speaker
Description
The interaction of high-intensity lasers with near-critical density (NCD) plasmas underpins many applications, such as the generation of ultra-high peak current ion beams. However, diagnosing NCD plasmas remains challenging due to their high density, short timescales, and small spatial structures. We address these challenges by driving ion acceleration with a high-power, long-wave infrared CO₂ laser at the Accelerator Test Facility (ATF), Brookhaven National Laboratory. The longer drive wavelength reduces the critical density and increases the spatial scale, enabling both the use of gas targets and the implementation of probing with a synchronised optical laser [1]. A recent upgrade at the ATF has enabled probing with much shorter pulse length than the drive beam, enabling dynamic intrapulse imaging. We will discuss measurements of laser channeling propagation velocity and transverse expansion in near-critical-density plasma and sheath-like ion acceleration at ionization boundaries. Our novel platform can be extended to provide new insights into a wide range of intense laser-plasma phenomena.
[1] Dover et al. Physical Review Letters 134, 025102 (2025)
| Working group | WG2 |
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