Published May 2011 | Version v1
Journal article

Scaling hot-electron generation to long-pulse, high-intensity laser-solid interactions

  • 1. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)
  • 2. Fusion Science Center for Extreme States of Matter and Fast Ignition Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)
  • 3. General Atomics, San Diego, California 92186 (United States)
  • 4. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
  • 5. Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)

Description

Experiments have been performed to determine the effect of laser-pulse duration and energy on hot-electron-generation efficiency at high intensity. Thin copper foil targets were irradiated with 1 to 2100 J, 1 to 10 ps pulses focused to intensities >1018 W/cm2. The target volume was varied from 75 x 75 x 3 μm3 to 600 x 600 x 50 μm3 to access a range of bulk thermal-electron temperatures up to several hundred electron volts. Comparison of K-photon spectroscopy measurements from these targets with electron transport and radiation-generation calculations indicates that the energy conversion efficiency into hot electrons is 20 ± 10%, independent of laser-pulse duration and energy.

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physics of Plasmas
Journal Volume
18
Journal Issue
5
Journal Page Range
p. 056703-056703.6
ISSN
1070-664X
CODEN
PHPAEN

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
43016911
Subject category
S70: PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY;
Descriptors DEI
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT; COPPER; EFFICIENCY; ELECTRON TEMPERATURE; ELECTRONS; ENERGY CONVERSION; LASERS; SCALING; THIN FILMS
Descriptors DEC
CONVERSION; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; ELEMENTS; FERMIONS; FILMS; LEPTONS; METALS; RADIATION TRANSPORT; TRANSITION ELEMENTS

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2011 American Institute of Physics