Prof Peter Norreys FInstP;: Publications

The effect of laser focusing conditions in laser wakefield acceleration experiments

Optics InfoBase Conference Papers (2006)

Authors:

AGR Thomas, SPD Mangles, Z Najmudin, CD Murphy, AE Dangor, W Rozmus, K Krushelnick, PS Foster, PA Norreys, JG Gallacher, DA Jaroszynski, WB Mori

Abstract:

The effect of focusing conditions in laser wakefield acceleration is studied. Short focal length geometries produce large dark currents while longer focal lengths produce narrow energy spread beams. © 2006 Optical Societ of America.

A coupled two-step plasma instability in PW laser plasma interactions

Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 47:12 B (2005)

Authors:

JT Mendonça, P Norreys, R Bingham, JR Davies

Abstract:

A possible new mechanism for anomalous ion heating in ultra-intense laser plasmas is considered here. This mechanism is based on the excitation of an electron two-stream instability that is driven by the fast electron beam and resonantly decays into ion-acoustic waves. These low frequency waves are then strongly damped by the ion collisions in the dense plasma. The model gives a simple explanation for the preferential heating of the bulk ion population observed in recent laser experiments in the petawatt (PW) regime. © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Characterization of Ti Ka radiation resulting from interaction of a highly intense laser pulse with a thin titanium foil

32nd EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2005, EPS 2005, Held with the 8th International Workshop on Fast Ignition of Fusion Targets - Europhysics Conference Abstracts 2 (2005) 1154-1157

Authors:

J King, M Key, C Chen, R Freeman, T Phillips, K Akli, M Borghesi, M Chen, T Cowan, S Hatchett, J Koch, K Lancaster, A MacKinnon, P Norreys, P Patel, L Romagnani, R Snavely, R Stephens, C Stoeckl, R Town, M Zepf, B Zhang

Experiment vs. theory on electric inhibition of fast electron penetration of targets

32nd EPS Conference on Plasma Physics 2005, EPS 2005, Held with the 8th International Workshop on Fast Ignition of Fusion Targets - Europhysics Conference Abstracts 1 (2005) 121-124

Authors:

RR Freeman, K Akli, D Batani, S Baton, S Hatchett, D Hey, M Key, J King, A Mackinnon, P Norreys, R Snavely, R Stephens, C Stoeckl, R Town, B Zhang

High intensity laser-plasma sources of ions - Physics and future applications

Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 47:12 B (2005)

Authors:

K Krushelnick, EL Clark, FN Beg, AE Dangor, Z Najmudin, PA Norreys, M Wei, M Zepf

Abstract:

The interaction of high intensity laser pulses with plasmas is an efficient source of megaelectronvolt ions. Recent observations of the production of directional energetic ion 'beams' from the front and rear surfaces of thin foil targets upon irradiation by intense laser pulses have prompted a renewed interest into research in this area. In addition, other recent observations have shown that high energy ions can be observed from intense laser interaction with low density plasma as a result of ponderomotive shock acceleration. The source characteristics and acceleration mechanisms for these ions have been extensively investigated, and there have also been a number of proposed applications for these ion beams, such as for injectors into subsequent conventional acceleration stages, for medicine, for probing of dense plasmas and for inertial confinement fusion experiments. © 2005 IOP Publishing Ltd.

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