Experimental investigation of the magnetic vortex acceleration regime

ORAL

Abstract

Magnetic Vortex Acceleration (MVA), an advanced ion acceleration mechanism, requires an ultra-high intensity and contrast laser pulse combined with a near-critical density target that is matched to the laser parameters. Theoretically, these conditions result in high energy, well-collimated ion beams, directional electron beams, and gamma-ray generation. A series of 3D particle-in-cell simulations were performed to aid with experimental preparation and to study the electromagnetic field evolution and the properties of accelerated beams under realistic experimental conditions. We report on simulation and experimental results, investigating this regime using the newly commissioned high intensity beamline at the BELLA Center, iP2. The acceleration mechanism is studied with a diverse set of diagnostics monitoring the properties of the generated ions, electrons, x-rays and gamma-rays as well as the transmitted and reflected laser light.

*This work was supported by the U.S. DOE Office of Science, LaserNetUS, Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) and Office of High Energy Physics under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231, and used resources at NERSC (FES-ERCAP0024250) and OLCF (DE-AC05-00OR22725). S. Hakimi was supported by the U.S. DOE FES Postdoctoral Research Program administered by ORISE (DE-SC0014664). WarpX was supported by the Exascale Computing Project (17-SC-20-SC).

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Presenters

  • Sahel Hakimi

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Authors

  • Sahel Hakimi

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Lieselotte Obst-Huebl

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Stepan S Bulanov

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • LBNL
    • LBL

  • Kei Nakamura

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Axel Huebl

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Jared T De Chant

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Aodhan McIlvenny

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Kelly K Swanson

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Elizabeth S Grace

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Raspberry Simpson

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Jackson G Williams

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Derek Mariscal

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Scott C Wilks

    • Northwind Services
    • LLNL

  • Brendan L Stassel

    • University of Michigan

  • Louise Willingale

    • University of Michigan

  • Thomas Schenkel

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Jean-Luc Vay

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Carl B Schroeder

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Anthony J Gonsalves

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Jeroen v van Tilborg

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Eric H Esarey

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Cameron Geddes

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory