Development of gas jet targets for laser-plasma experiments at near-critical density

J L Henares; P Puyuelo-Valdes; F Hannachi; T Ceccotti; M Ehret; F Gobet; L Lancia; J-R Marquès; J J Santos; M Versteegen; M Tarisien

doi:10.1063/1.5093613

Development of gas jet targets for laser-plasma experiments at near-critical density

Rev Sci Instrum. 2019 Jun;90(6):063302. doi: 10.1063/1.5093613.

Authors

J L Henares¹, P Puyuelo-Valdes¹, F Hannachi¹, T Ceccotti², M Ehret³, F Gobet¹, L Lancia⁴, J-R Marquès⁴, J J Santos³, M Versteegen¹, M Tarisien¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux Gradignan, Université de Bordeaux, CNRS-IN2P3, Route du Solarium, 33175 Gradignan, France.
² LIDYL, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
³ Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, CELIA (Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications) UMR 5107, 33400 Talence, France.
⁴ LULI, Ecole Polytechnique-CNRS-CEA-Université Paris VI, F-91128 Palaiseau, France.

PMID: 31254995
DOI: 10.1063/1.5093613

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed to design gas nozzles, associated with a 1000 bars backing pressure system, capable of generating supersonic gas jet targets with densities close to the critical density for 1053 nm laser radiation (10²¹ cm^-3). Such targets should be suitable for laser-driven ion acceleration at a high repetition rate. The simulation results are compared to the density profiles measured by interferometry, and characterization of the gas jet dynamics is performed using strioscopy. Proton beams with maximum energies up to 2 MeV have been produced from diatomic hydrogen gas jet targets in a first experiment.