Pinhole imaging of fast ions from laser-produced plasmas

Abstract

Pinhole-camera images formed by fast ions emitted from spherical-glass-shell targets uniformly irradiated by intense 1.06-μm laser light have been recorded on cellulose-nitrate films. The spatial resolution of the images is consistent with the 5- and 9-μm pinhole size. The size of the image relative to the target size provides the first measurement of the angular distribution of fast-ion emission from spherical targets. The observed images indicate a forward-peaked distribution, but with very broad angular spread. Image sizes increase with laser intensity and pulse length.