Self-trapping and acceleration of ions in laser-driven relativistically transparent plasma

Liu, B.; Meyer-ter-Vehn, J. und Ruhl, H. (2018): Self-trapping and acceleration of ions in laser-driven relativistically transparent plasma. In: Physics of Plasmas, Bd. 25, Nr. 10, 103117

Abstract

Self-trapping and acceleration of ions in laser-driven relativistically transparent plasma are investigated with the help of particle-in-cell simulations. A theoretical model based on ion wave breaking is established in describing ion evolution and ion trapping. The threshold for ion trapping is identified. Near the threshold ion trapping is self-regulating and stops when the number of trapped ions is large enough. The model is applied to ion trapping in three-dimensional geometry. Longitudinal distributions of ions and the electric field near the wave breaking point are derived analytically in terms of power-law scalings. The areal density of trapped charge is obtained as a function of the strength of ion wave breaking, which scales with target density for fixed laser intensity. The results of the model are confirmed by the simulations.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Fakultät: Physik
• Themengebiete: 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik > 530 Physik
• ISSN: 1070-664X
• Sprache: Englisch