Effect of Foil Target Thickness in Proton Acceleration Driven by an Ultra-Short Laser

Proton acceleration experiments were carried out by a 1.2× 1018 W/cm2 ultra-short laser interaction with solid foil targets. The peak proton energy observed from an optimum target thickness of 7 μm in our experiments was 2.1 MeV. Peak proton energy and proton yield were investigated for different foil target thicknesses. It was shown that proton energy and conversion efficiency increased as the target became thinner, on one condition that the preplasma generated by the laser prepulse did not have enough shock energy and time to influence or destroy the target rear-surface. The existence of optimum foil thickness is due to the effect of the prepulse and hot electron transportation behavior on the foil target.

Electromagnetic pulses produced by a picosecond laser interacting with solid targets

A high-power laser ablating solid targets induces giant electromagnetic pulses(EMPs),which are intimately pertinent to laser parameters,such as energy and pulse width.In this study,we reveal the features of EMPs generated from a picosecond(ps)laser irradiating solid targets at the SG-Ⅱpicosecond petawatt(PSPW)laser facility.The laser energy and pulse,as well as target material and thickness,show determinative effects on the EMPs’amplitude.More intense EMPs are detected behind targets compared to those at the other three positions,and the EMP amplitude decreases from 90.09 kV/m to 17.8 kV/m with the gold target thickness increasing from 10μm to 20μm,which is suppressed when the laser pulse width is enlarged.The results are expected to provide more insight into EMPs produced by ps lasers coupling with targets and lay the foundation for an effective EMP shielding design in high-power laser infrastructures.

Proton Acceleration Driven by High-Intensity Ultraviolet Laser Interaction with a Gold Foil

Proton acceleration induced by a high-intensity ultraviolet laser interaction with a thin foil target was studied on an ultra-short KrF laser amplifier called LLG50 in China Institute of Atomic Energy （CIAE）. The ultraviolet laser produced pulses with a high-contrast of 109, duration of 500 fs and energy of 30 mJ. The p-polarized laser was focused on a 2.1 #m gold foil by an off-axis parabola mirror （OAP） at an incident angle of 45°. The laser intensity was 1.2× 1017 W/cm2. The divergence angle for proton energy of 265 keV or higher was 30°, which was recorded by a CR39 detector covered with 2 μm aluminum foil in the target normal direction. The maximum proton energy recorded by a CR39 detector covered with a 4 μm aluminum foil was 440 keV, and the proton energy spectrum was measured by a proton spectrometer. The ultraviolet laser acquires a relatively lower hot electron temperature, which can be ascribed to the proportional relationship of Iλ2, but a higher hot electron density because of the higher laser absorption and critical density. Higher electron density availed to strengthen the sheath electric field, and increased the proton acceleration.

Influence of target temperature on femtosecond laser-ablated brass plasma spectroscopy

Spectral intensity,electron temperature and density of laser-induced plasma(LIP) are important parameters for affecting sensitivity of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS).Increasing target temperature is an easy and feasible method to improve the sensitivity.In this paper,a brass target in a temperature range from 25℃ to 200℃ was ablated to generate the LIP using femtosecond pulse.Time-resolved spectral emission of the femtosecond LIBS was measured under different target temperatures.The results showed that,compared with the experimental condition of 25℃,the spectral intensity of the femtosecond LIP was enhanced with more temperature target.In addition,the electron temperature and density were calculated by Boltzmann equation and Stark broadening,indicating that the changes in the electron temperature and density of femtosecond LIP with the increase of the target temperature were different from each other.By increasing the target temperature,the electron temperature increased while the electron density decreased.Therefore,in femtosecond LIBS,a hightemperature and low-density plasma with high emission can be generated by increasing the target temperature.The increase in the target temperature can improve the resolution and sensitivity of femtosecond LIBS.

A quantitative method for calculating irradiation area of laser target designator

In laser-guided bomb attacking process,the target indication from the laser target designator is the premise for the bomb to hit the target accurately.Considering the lack of quantitative study of the irradiation area of the laser target designator,this paper,based on the existing aircraft motion model and the laser transmission model,uses two aircraft as respectively the carrier of the laser-guided bomb and the carrier of the laser designator and proposes a method to calculate the global irradiation area of the airborne laser designator.By using the proposed algorithm,the global irradiation area when attacking a large flat target or a large spherical target is simulated respectively.Finally,according to the simulation results,the influences of different factors on the shapes of the irradiation area are discussed in detail.

Analysis of electromagnetic pulses generated from ultrashort laser irradiation of solid targets at CLAPA

Electromagnetic pulses(EMPs)produced by the interaction of a TW femtosecond laser with solid targets at the Compact Laser Plasma Accelerator(CLAPA)are measured and interpreted.The statistical results confirm that the intensities of the EMPs are closely related to both target material and thickness.The signal of the titanium target is more abundant than that of the copper target with the same thickness,and the intensity of EMP is positively correlated with the target thickness for aluminium foil.With the boosted EMP radiations,the energy of accelerated protons is also simultaneously enhanced.In addition,EMPs emitted from the front of the target exceed those from the rear,which are also pertinent to the specific target position.The resonant waveforms in the target chamber are analyzed using the fast Fourier transform,and the local resonance and the attenuation lead to changes of the frequency spectra of EMPs with variation of detecting positions,which is well supported by the modeling results.The findings are beneficial to gaining insight into the mechanism of EMP propagation in a typical target chamber and providing more information for EMP shielding design.

Ground target localization algorithm for semi-active laser terminalcorrection projectile

A target localization algorithm,which uses the measurement information from onboard GPS and onboard laser detector to acquire the target position,is proposed to obtain the accurate position of ground target in real time in the trajectory correction process of semi-active laser terminal correction projectile.A target localization model is established according to projectile position,attitude and line-of-sight angle.The effects of measurement errors of projectile position,attitude and line-of-sight angle on localization accuracy at different quadrant elevation angles are analyzed through Monte-Carlo simulation.The simulation results show that the measurement error of line-of-sight angle has the largest influence on the localization accuracy.The localization accuracy decreases with the increase in quadrant elevation angle.However,the maximum localization accuracy is less than 7 m.The proposed algorithm meets the accuracy and real-time requirements of target localization.

MicroRNAs in laser-induced choroidal neovascularization in mice and rats:their expression and potential therapeutic targets

Choroidal neovascularization characterizes wet age-related macular degeneration.Choroidal neovascularization formation involves a primarily angiogenic process that is combined with both inflammation and proteolysis.A primary cause of choroidal neovascularization pathogenesis is alterations in pro-and anti-angiogenic factors derived from the retinal pigment epithelium,with vascular endothelium growth factor being mainly responsible for both clinical and experimental choroidal neovascularization.MicroRNAs(miRNAs)which are short,non-coding,endogenous RNA molecules have a major role in regulating various pathological processes,including inflammation and angiogenesis.A review of recent studies with the mouse laser-induced choroidal neovascularization model has shown alterations in miRNA expression in choroidal neovascularization tissues and could be potential therapeutic targets for wet age-related macular degeneration.Upregulation of miR-505(days 1 and 3 post-laser),miR-155(day 14)occurred in retina;miR-342-5p(days 3 and 7),miR-126-3p(day 14)in choroid;miR-23a,miR-24,miR-27a(day 7)in retina/choroid;miR-505(days 1 and 3)in retinal pigment epithelium/choroid;downregulation of miR-155(days 1 and 3),miR-29a,miR-29b,miR-29c(day 5),miR-93(day 14),miR-126(day 14)occurred in retinal pigment epithelium/choroid.Therapies using miRNA mimics or inhibitors were found to decrease choroidal neovascularization lesions.Choroidal neovascularization development was reduced by overexpression of miR-155,miR-188-5p,miR-(5,B,7),miR-126-3p,miR-342-5p,miR-93,miR-126,miR-195a-3p,miR-24,miR-21,miR-31,miR-150,and miR-184,or suppression of miR-505,miR-126-3p,miR-155,and miR-23/27.Further studies are warranted to determine miRNA expression in mouse laser-induced choroidal neovascularization models in order to validate and extend the reported findings.Important experimental variables need to be standardized;these include the strain and age of animals,gender,number and position of laser burns to the eye,laser parameters to induce choroidal neovascularization lesions including wavelength,power,spot size,and duration.

Transmission Degradation of Femtosecond Laser Pulses in Opened Cone Targets

Irradiated by femtosecond laser pulses with different energies, opened cone targets behave very differently in the transmission of incident laser pulses. The targets, each with an opening angle of 71° and an opening of 5 μm, are fabricated using standard semiconductor technology. When the incident laser energy is low and no pre-plasma is generated on the side walls of the cones, the cone target acts like an optical device to reflect the laser pulse, and 15% of the laser energy can be transmitted through the cones. In contrast, when the incident laser energy is high enough to generate pre-plasmas by the pre-pulse of the main pulse that fills the inner cone, the cone with the plasmas will block the transmission of the laser, which leads to a decrease in laser transmission compared with the low-energy case with no plasma. Simulation results using optical software in the low-energy case, and using the particle-in-cell code in the high-energy case, are primarily in agreement with the experimental results.

Effects of Laser Ablation on Ceramic Superconducting Targets

A scanning electron microscopy study of the morphology of laser ablated superconducting targets. bothYBaCuO and BipbSrCaCuO, was reported. The effects of laser ablation on target structures are illustratedto provide a basis for further quality control of laser ablation of superconducting thin films.

Acceleration of Protons from a Double-Layer or Multi-Ion-Mixed Foil Irradiated by Ultraintense Lasers

Acceleration of protons by the radiation pressure of a circularly polarized laser pulse with the intensity up to 1021 W/cm^2 from a double-layer or multi-ion-mixed thin foil is investigated by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The double-layer foil is composed of a heavy ion layer and a proton layer. It is found that the radiation pressure acceleration can be classified into three regimes according to the laser intensity due to the different critical intensities for laser transparency with different ion species. When the laser intensity is moderately high, the laser pushes the electrons neither so slowly nor so quickly that the protons can catch up with the electrons, while the heavy ions cannot. Therefore, the protons can be accelerated efficiently. The proton beam generated from the double-layer foil is of better quality and higher energy than that from a pure proton foil with the same areal electron density. When the laser intensity is relatively low, both the protons and heavy ions are accelerated together, which is not favorable to the proton acceleration. When the laser intensity is relatively high, neither the heavy ions nor the protons can be accelerated efficiently due to the laser transparency through the target.

Suppression of multiple ion bunches and generation of monoenergetic ion beams in laser foil-plasma

In one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, this paper shows that the formation of multiple ion bunches is disadvantageous to the generation of monoenergetic ion beams and can be suppressed by choosing an optimum target thickness in the radiation pressure acceleration mechanism by a circularly polarised laser pulse. As the laser pulse becomes intense, the optimum target thickness obtained by a non-relativistic treatment is no longer adequate. Considering the relativistic Doppler-shifted pressure, it proposes a relativistic formulation to determine the optimum target thickness. The theoretical predictions agree with the simulation results well. The model is also valid for two-dimensional cases. The accelerated ion beams can be compelled to be more stable by choosing the optimum target thickness when they exhibit some unstable behaviours.

Impacts of laser pulse width and target thickness on laser micro-propulsion performance

In order to optimize the laser ablation performance of a micro-thruster with 1U dimensions,which employs a micro semiconductor laser,the impacts of pulse width and glycidyl azide polymer(GAP)thickness on thrust performance were researched.The results showed that with a GAP thickness of 200μm,the single-pulse impulse(I)increased gradually with the increase in the laser pulse width from 50 to 800μs,while the specific impulse(I_(sp)),impulse coupling coefficient(Cm)and ablation efficiency(η)all reached optimal values with a 200μs pulse width.It is worth noting that the optimal pulse width is identical to the ignition delay time.Both Cmandηpeaked with a pulse width of 200μs,reaching 242.22μN W^(-1)and 35.4%,respectively.With the increase in GAP thickness,I and Cmincreased gradually.GAP of different thicknesses corresponded to different optimal laser pulse widths.Under a certain laser pulse width,the optimal GAP thickness should be the most vertical thickness of the ablation pit,and the various propulsion performance parameters at this time were also optimal.With the current laser parameters,the optimal GAP thickness was approximately 150μm,I_(sp)was approximately 322.22 s,andηwas approximately 34.94%.

Effect of multiple parameters on the supersonic gas-jet target characteristics for laser wakefield acceleration

The supersonic gas-jet target is an important experimental target for laser wakefield acceleration(LWFA),which has great potential for driving novel radiation sources such as betatron radiation and Compton scattering gamma rays.According to different electron acceleration requirements,it is necessary to provide specific supersonic gas jets with different density profiles to generate electron beams with high quality and high repetition rates.In this study,the interference images and density profiles of different gas-jet targets were obtained through a modified Nomarski interference diagnosis system.The relationships between the gas density and back pressure,nozzle structure,and other key parameters were studied.Targets with different characteristics are conducive to meeting the various requirements of LWFA.

Hydrodynamics of Exploding Foil X-Ray Lasers with Time-Dependent Ionization Effect

A simple modified model is presented based on R. A. London＇s self-similarity model on time-independent ionization hydrodynamics of exploding foil X-ray lasers. In our model, the time-dependent ionization effect is under consideration and the average ion charge depends on the temperature. Then we obtain the new scaling laws for temperature, scale length and electron density, which have better agreement with experimental results.

Numerical Simulation on Laser Propulsion Capability of Polymer Target

A computational model of laser ablated polymer was established. Set the ablation criterion based on threshold energy. Put forward the polymer ablation criterion in the numerical model. It established the energy distribution equation to describe the laser ablation process. When the ablation products ejected, the target gained recoil impulse from ejection process. Get the ejection energy and the recoil momentum of target based on momentum conservation law. The numerical analysis model can reflect the propulsion capability of different polymer propellant, revealed the law of propulsion parameters in laser ablation process.

High-Yield High-Efficiency Positron Generation in High-Z Metal Targets Irradiated by Laser Produced Electrons from Near-Critical Density Plasmas

An improved indirect scheme for laser positron generation is proposed. The positron yields in high-ZZ metal targets irradiated by laser produced electrons from near-critical density plasmas and underdense plasma are investigated numerically. It is found that the positron yield is mainly affected by the number of electrons of energies up to several hundreds of MeV. Using near-critical density targets for electron acceleration, the number of high energy electrons can be increased dramatically. Through start-to-end simulations, it is shown that up to 6.78×10106.78×1010 positrons can be generated with state-of-the-art Joule-class femtosecond laser systems.

Experimental investigation of laser-produced-plasma EUV source based on liquid target

A laser-produced plasma(LPP) source was built using liquid as target and a Nd:YAG laser as the irradiation laser, and the LPP source's radiation with ethanol and acetone target respectively was measured by an AXUV100 silicon photodiode combined with a McPHERSON model 247 grazing incidence monochromator of the resolution Δλ≤0.075 nm and the wavelength scanning interval 0.5 nm. Both ethanol and acetone target LPP source had EUV emission at 11～20 nm wavelength. The comparison between the spectra of the two kinds of target materials shows that all the two kinds of target source's spectra are the result of oxygen ions' transitions under current source's parameters, but the spectrum intensity from different target sources is different. The spectra intensity from the ethanol target is higher than that from the acetone target. In addition, the target liquid is forced into the vacuum chamber by the background pressure supported by the connected external high pressure gas, and the influence of the background pressure on the source's intensity is investigated.

Comparison of sample temperature effect on femtosecond and nanosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

In this paper,we investigated the emission spectra of plasmas produced from femtosecond and nanosecond laser ablations at different target temperatures in air.A brass was selected as ablated target of the experiment.The results indicated that spectral emission intensity and plasma temperature showed similar trend for femtosecond and nanosecond lasers,and the two parameters were improved by increasing the sample temperature in both cases.Moreover,the temperature of nanosecond laser-excited plasma was higher compared with that of femtosecond laser-excited plasma,and the increase of the plasma temperature in the case of nanosecond laser was more evident.In addition,there was a significant difference in electron density between femtosecond and nanosecond laser-induced plasmas.The electron density for femtosecond laser decreased with increasing the target temperature,while for nanosecond laser,the electron density was almost unchanged at different sample temperatures.

Algorithm for Multi-laser-target Tracking Based on Clustering Fusion

Multi-laser-target tracking is an important subject in the field of signal processing of laser warners. A clustering method is applied to the measurement of laser warner, and the space-time fusion for measurements in the same cluster is accomplished. Real-time tracking of multi-laser-target and real-time picking of multi-laser-signal are introduced using data fusion of the measurements. A prototype device of the algorithm is built up. The results of experiments show that the algorithm is very effective.