Interaction of Ultra-Intense Laser Pulses with Structured Targets in the Multi-Petawatt Regime

超强激光脉冲与多拍瓦级结构目标的相互作用

• 批准号: 2109087
• 负责人: Gennady Shvets
• 金额: $ 47.73万
• 依托单位: Cornell University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-15 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2109087&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Interaction; Ultra; Intense; Laser; Pulses

This project will investigate a novel concept of particle acceleration by high power lasers. Ultra-powerful lasers are revolutionizing the field of plasma physics and leading to a number of exciting applications. One such application involves accelerating ion beams to velocities approaching the speed of light. Such relativistic beams can be used for applications as varied as treating tumors without damaging the surrounding tissues or producing neutrons for nuclear physics studies. While the basic idea of using radiative pressure of ultra-intense laser pulse to accelerate solid density targets may appear to be not much more challenging than using a blast of wind to move a sailboat across a lake, the details of laser-target interactions at such enormous laser intensities is quite complex. Many physical processes, including instabilities and explosions of electrically-charged targets, conspire to reduce the energy and directivity of the accelerated ions.This effort will overcome challenges to laser-driven ion acceleration by investigating a novel concept – Laser-Ion Lens and Accelerator (LILA) – that utilizes an ultra-thin solid target with non-uniform thickness propelled by a multi-petawatt (MPW) laser pulse. By utilizing targets that are thinner near the edge, LILA potentially enables simultaneous acceleration and focusing of the ion beam while preserving its small angular divergence. Physical properties of such converging plasma flows have not been previously investigated. Through the combination of theoretical modeling, nanofabrication, and experimentation at some of the premier laser facilities, this project will address a unique set of challenges, including modeling collective laser-plasma instabilities, understanding the behavior of quasi-neutral plasmas containing multiple ion species, optimization and fabrication of the designer target profiles, and reducing the achievable emittance of the beam. Proof-of principle experiments utilizing the existing and upcoming laser facilities will be designed and carried out. Extensive international collaborations at several MPW facilities in Europe and Asia will be established to achieve the key objectives of this project. The intellectual merit consists of developing novel computational tools for furthering our understanding of MPW laser interactions with structured solid targets, their stability, and suitability for a wide range of applications. The broader impacts include development of future compact laser-based relativistic ion accelerators, as well as training the next generation of scientists, including graduate and undergraduate students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将研究高功率激光器的颗粒加速度概念。超功能激光器正在彻底改变等离子物理领域，并导致许多令人兴奋的应用。一种这样的应用涉及加速离子光束到速度接近光速。这种相对论梁可用于处理肿瘤的多种应用，而不会损害周围的组织或为核物理研究产生中性。尽管使用超密集型激光脉冲加速固体密度靶标的辐射压力的基本思想似乎并不比使用爆炸的风将帆船移到湖泊上，但在这种增强的激光强度下，激光目标相互作用的细节很复杂。许多物理过程，包括电荷靶标的不稳定性和爆炸，共同降低加速离子的能量和方向性。这项工作将克服对激光驱动的离子加速的挑战，通过研究新颖的概念 - 激光概念 - 激光镜 - 通过不合同的稳固目标，该概念 - 利用超强的目标，该目标是跨性别的，该概念使用了超强的目标，该目标是跨性别的，该目标是跨性别的。 （MPW）激光脉冲。通过利用边缘附近较薄的靶标，Lila可能会同时加速和聚焦离子束，同时保持其小角度的差异。以前尚未研究这种融合血浆流的物理特性。通过在某些主要的激光设施上的理论建模，纳米构造和实验的结合，该项目将解决一系列独特的挑战，包括建模集体激光 - 血质量不稳定性，了解包含多个离子物种的准中性等离子体的行为，具有多个离子物种，优化和设计者目标profiels profiles profiles profiles和Reeducting and exement the Achieec the Anchiec the Aflect and Anchiec the Exect and Anchiec the Exem and exemene。利用现有和即将推出的激光设施的原则证明实验将被设计和进行。将建立在欧洲和亚洲多个MPW设施的广泛国际合作，以实现该项目的关键目标。智力优点包括开发新颖的计算工具，以进一步了解MPW激光与结构化的固体目标，其稳定性以及对广泛应用的适用性。更广泛的影响包括开发未来紧凑型激光的相对论离子加速器，以及培训下一代科学家，包括研究生和本科生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来通过评估而被认为是珍贵的支持。