Plasma block acceleration via double targets driven by an ultraintense circularly polarized laser pulse

Abstract

By using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, plasma block acceleration via radiation pressure from an ultraintense circularly polarized laser pulse with intensity I≈1022W/cm2 is investigated based on a double-target scheme, in which the targets are composed of a pre-target with a relatively low plasma density and a main target with a high plasma density. It has been demonstrated that an appropriately selected pre-target can help to greatly enhance the charge separation field in the main target, which then leads to generation of a strongly accelerated and well directed plasma block with proton energy in GeV magnitude. This result can have potential applications in the plasma block ignition of proton-born fusion.