RTs: Arnold, Bagnoud, Boine-Frankenheim, Doria, Kuschel, Roth, Tanaka, Ursescu, Walther
Project Area Overview: Research Area A will address the development of photon and particle beams with unprecedented characteristics such as intensity, emittance, brilliance, and time structure. Proton, neutron and gamma-ray beams will be produced by the relativistic interaction of high intensity lasers with solid and gaseous targets. With the dual 10-PW laser-system at ELI-NP, a world-wide unique laser infrastructure is in operation which will allow to enter new frontiers in the ultra-relativistic interaction regime.
Research in area A comprises laser-induced gamma-ray beam production. On one hand, this will be addressed by the laser interaction with micro-structured solid-density targets in near-critical plasma channels. The proposed experiments with the 10 PW lasers at ELI-NP might be the basis for studying strong-field quantum electrodynamics and phenomena in astrophysical plasmas. On the other hand, the program includes the first demonstration of a fourth-generation photon source at the S-DALINAC electron accelerator at TU Darmstadt and its quantitative characterization for beam diagnostics or spectroscopy. An advanced design of an optical cavity for photon-beam production is at the center of experimental techniques for LCB at high repetition rate and is crucial for the completion of ELI-NP’s VEGA system.
Ion acceleration in a wide parameter space will be studied at the PHELIX laser at GSI and at the laser facilities at ELI-NP. The onset of relativistically induced transparency (RIT) of solid-density plasmas and radiation pressure represent intriguing effects in the ultra-relativistic regime that can be exploited to improve proton and ion acceleration from thin foil targets. Several experimental techniques, that are established at smaller laser systems, must be adapted for scaling up experiments to the 10-PW level [20]. These developments include the control of the laser pulse contrast, plasma mirrors for contrast cleaning [34], diagnostics for laser-accelerated particles [RT1,RT2,21], high repetition rate targetry, proton beam transport, and radiological studies. Pump-probe experiments with two high-power laser beams will become possible with the experimental infrastructure at ELI-NP. As an application, laser-driven proton beams will be converted into short-pulsed neutron beams, that are ideally suited for time-resolved neutron radiography and spectroscopy. Laser-based neutron sources have high application potential, e.g., in the non-destructive analysis of materials, e.g., for sensitive components or high-level nuclear waste. High-energy proton and neutron sources will be developed at ELI-NP with characteristics that hitherto require nuclear reactors or spallation sources at kilometer long accelerators.