Observations of Improvement in Conversion Efficiency to Laser Accelerated Protons Using Er-Hydride Coated Targets

ORAL

Abstract

Using the Callisto Laser, at LLNL ($8J$, $3\times10^{19}W/cm^2 $) we have compared proton beams originating from contaminant layers on Gold foil targets with beams from Gold targets coated with $ErH_3$. Contaminants were removed using an Ar-Ion etching beam. Data was collected using radiochromic film and a Thomson spectrometer. An improvement of 23\% in conversion efficiency for protons above $3MeV$ was observed due to $ErH_3 $. LSP simulations agree with this result when assumed that carbon ions in contaminants are predominantly He-like, as seen on the Thomson spectrometer.

*This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Authors

  • D. Offermann

    • The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

  • L. Van Woerkom

    • The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

  • R. Freeman

    • The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

  • Y. Ping

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

  • A.J. Mackinnin

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

  • A.G. MacPhee

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

  • M.E. Foord

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

  • J.J. Sanchez

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

  • N. Shen

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

  • C.D. Chen

    • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA