Volume 8, 2024

High Intensity Laser-Plasma Particle Sources

LASER DRIVEN USER FACILITIES AND STATUS OF I-LUCE AT LABORATORI NAZIONALI DEL SUD OF INFN (ITALY)

G.A.P. Cirrone, D. Margarone, S. Arjmand, G. Petringa, J. Suarez, R. Catalano, A.D. Pappalardo, D. Oliva, C. Altana, A. Amato, D. Bandieramonte, D. Bonanno, G. Cuttone, L. Giuffrida, C. Manna, A. Miraglia, M. Musumeci, D. Rizzo, S. Tudisco, M. Tringale, F. Vinciguerra

Pages: 103-109

DOI: 10.21175/RadProc.2024.19

Laser-driven ion acceleration has emerged as a promising technology in accelerator physics, offering a compact alternative to conventional machines. By utilizing the interaction of high-intensity laser pulses with plasma, ions can be accelerated to high energies over short distances, enabling a wide range of applications in medical therapy, materials science, and nuclear physics. This paper provides an overview of the current facilities worldwide where laser- driven ion acceleration is being studied and implemented, and where laser-driven beams are made available to users for fundamental and applied research. It specifically focuses on the ELI-Beamlines facility (Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic) and the I-LUCE initiative facility (Catania, Italy), which aims to establish a laser facility at the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (INFN-LNS). The main characteristics of these facilities and their generated beams are briefly discussed.
  1. W.L. Linlor, “Ion energies produced by laser giant pulse”, Appl. Phys. Lett, vol. 3, no. 11, pp. 210-211, 1963.
    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1753852
  2. D. Lichtman, J.F. Ready, “Laser beam induced electron emission”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 10, pp. 342-345, 1963.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.10.342
  3. E.L. Clark et al., “Measurements of energetic proton transport through magnetized plasma from intense laser interactions with solids”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 84, no. 4, pp. 670-673, 2000.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.670
  4. A. Maksimchuk et al., “Forward ion acceleration in thin films driven by a high-intensity laser”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 84, no. 18, pp. 4108-4111, 2000.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.4108
  5. R.A. Snavely et al., “Intense high-energy proton beams from petawatt-laser irradiation of solids”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 85, 2945, 2000.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.2945
  6. A. Macchi, C. Benedetti, “Ion acceleration by radiation pressure in thin and thick targets”, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, vol. 620, no. 1, pp. 41-45, 2010.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2010.01.057
  7. U. Linz, J. Alonso, “Laser-driven ion accelerators for tumor therapy revisited”, Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams, vol. 19, 124802, 2016.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.19.124802
  8. G.A.P. Cirrone et al., “Ion acceleration by laser-matter interaction: status and perspective with the upcoming I-LUCE facility at INFN-LNS”, Proc. IPAC'23, pp. 4386-4388, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.18429/JACoW-IPAC2023-THPA179
  9. A. Macchi et al., “Ion acceleration by superintense laser-plasma interaction”, Rev. Mod. Phys, vol. 85, no. 2, pp. 751-793, 2013.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.85.751
  10. H. Daido et al., “Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications”, Rep. Prog. Phys, vol. 75, no. 5, 056401, 2012.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-4885/75/5/056401
  11. S.C. Wilks et al., “Energetic Proton Generation in Ultra-Intense Laser-solid Interactions”, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 8, pp. 542-549, 2001.
    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1333697
  12. A. Macchi et al., “Laser acceleration of ion bunches at the front surface of overdense plasmas”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 94, 165003, 2005.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94 estadual
  13. J. Denavit, “Absorption of high-intensity subpicosecond lasers on solid density targets”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 69, 3052, 1992.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.69.3052
  14. L.O. Silva et al., “Proton shock acceleration in laser-plasma interactions”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 92, 015002, 2004.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.92.015002
  15. D. Jung et al., “Monoenergetic ion beam generation by driving ion solitary waves with circularly polarized laser light”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 107, 115002, 2011.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.115002
  16. L. Yin et al., “Mono-energetic ion beam acceleration in solitary waves during relativistic transparency using high-contrast circularly polarized short-pulse laser and nanoscale targets”, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 18, no. 5, 053103, 2011.
    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3587110
  17. T.Z. Esirkepov et al., “Coulomb explosion of a cluster irradiated by a high intensity laser pulse”, Laser Part. Beams, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 503-506, 2000.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263034600183211
  18. V.Y. Bychenkov, V.E. Kovaliev, “Plasma Phys. Rep.”, vol. 31, pp. 178-183, 2005.
    https://doi.org/10.1134/1.1866599
  19. L Yin et al., “Monoenergetic and GeV ion acceleration from the laser breakout afterburner using ultrathin targets”, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 14, no. 5, 056706, 2007.
    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2436857
  20. J.C. Fernandez et al., “Fast ignition with laser-driven proton and ion beams”, Nucl. Fusion, vol. 54, no. 5, 054006, 2014.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/54/5/054006
  21. J. Badziak et al., “Generation of picosecond high-density ion fluxes by skin-layer laser-plasma interaction”, Laser Part. Beams, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 143-147, 2005.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263034605050238
  22. J. Badziak et al., “Studies on laser-driven generation of fast high-density plasma blocks for fast ignition”, Part. Beams, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 249-254, 2006.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263034606060368
  23. J. Badziak et al., “Generation of ultraintense proton beams by multi-ps circularly polarized laser pulses for fast ignition-related applications”, Phys. Plasmas, vol. 18, 053108, 2011.
    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3590856
  24. R.A. Simpson et al., “Demonstration of TNSA proton radiography on the National Ignition Facility Advanced Radiographic Capability (NIF-ARC) laser”, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion, vol. 63, no. 12, 124006, 2021.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ac2349
  25. C. Radier et al., “10 PW peak power femtosecond laser pulses at ELI-NP”, High Power Laser Science and Engineering, vol. 10, e21, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1017/hpl.2022.11
  26. D. Margarone et al., “ELIMAIA: A laser-driven ion accelerator for multidisciplinary applications”, Quantum Beam Sci., vol. 2, no. 2, 8, 2018.
    https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs2020008
  27. G.A.P. Cirrone et al., “ELIMED-ELIMAIA: The first open user irradiation beamline for laser-plasma-accelerated ion beams”, Front Phys, vol. 8, 564907, 2020.
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2020.564907
  28. F. Schillaci et al., “The ELIMAIA laser-plasma ion accelerator: technology commissioning and perspectives”, Quantum Beam Sci., vol. 6, no. 4, 30, 2020.
    https://doi.org/10.3390/qubs6040030
  29. U. Schramm et al., “First results with the novel petawatt laser acceleration facility in Dresden”, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser, vol. 874, 012028, 2017.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/874/1/012028
  30. C. Agodi et al., “Nuclear physics midterm plan at LNS”, Eur. Phys. J. Plus, vol. 138, 1038, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04358-7
  31. C. Qin et al., “High efficiency laser-driven proton sources using 3D-printed micro structure”, Commun Phys, vol. 5, 124, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-022-00900-8
  32. F. Schillaci et al., “Design of a large acceptance, high efficiency energy selection system for the ELIMAIA beamline”, JINST, vol. 11, P08022, 2016.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/11/08/P08022
  33. W. Leemans et al., “The BErkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA): A 10 GeV laser plasma accelerator”, AIP Conf. Proc, vol. 1299, no. 1, pp. 3-11, 2010.
    https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3520352
  34. T. Tajima, J.M. Dawson, “Laser electron accelerator”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 43, 267, 1979.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.43.267
  35. S. Arjmand et al., “Characterization of plasma sources for plasma-based accelerators”, JINST, vol. 15, C09055, 2020.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/15/09/C09055
  36. S. Arjmand et al., “Spectral line shape for plasma electron density characterization in capillary tubes”, J. Phys.: Conf. Ser, vol. 2439, 012012, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2439/1/012012
  37. Q. Liu et al., “Characteristic diagnosis of supersonic gas jet target for laser wakefield acceleration with high spatial-temporal resolution Nomarski interference system”, Front. Phys, vol. 11, 1203946, 2023.
    https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2023.1203946
  38. S. Arjmand et al., “Spectroscopic measurements as diagnostic tool for plasma-filled capillaries”, JACoW.IPAC2022, WEPOST035, pp. 1776-1779, 2022.
    https://doi.org/10.18429/JACoW-IPAC2022-WEPOST035
  39. A.J. Gonsalves et al., “Transverse interferometry of a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide”, Phys. Rev. Lett, vol. 98, 025002, 2007.
    https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.025002
G.A.P. Cirrone, D. Margarone, S. Arjmand, G. Petringa, J. Suarez, R. Catalano, A.D. Pappalardo, D. Oliva, C. Altana, A. Amato, D. Bandieramonte, D. Bonanno, G. Cuttone, L. Giuffrida, C. Manna, A. Miraglia, M. Musumeci, D. Rizzo, S. Tudisco, M. Tringale, F. Vinciguerra, "Laser driven user facilities and status of I-LUCE at Laboratori Nazionali del Sud of INFN (Italy)", RAD Conf. Proc., vol. 8, 2024, pp. 103-109; http://doi.org/10.21175/RadProc.2024.19