Abstract: Since its experimental demonstration around the year 2000, efficient laser plasma acceleration of ions has gained considerable attention for enabling compact ion sources delivering unique ion beam parameters. Those parameters include very short ion pulse lengths, low emittances and high particle numbers per pulse with multiple ion species, including heavier ions, being generated in a single laser-target interaction.
These source parameters render laser-ion sources attractive for various applications in multidisciplinary research and technology, e.g., in high dose-rate radiation biology, high energy density science, the study of warm dense matter and inertial fusion energy. Some of these applications are already actively pursued in basic research settings, however, advancing laser-ion sources to be a reliable technology requires addressing several key challenges. Those include present limitations in maximum ion energies, pulse repetition rate and stability of beam parameters.
This talk will discuss the current state of laser-ion sources and their applications, as well as recent research activities at the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator petawatt laser.
Series: See more information at the Beams & Applications webpage.