Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In this work, we report on two experimental campaigns conducted on the LFEX laser in Japan, aimed at investigating laser-driven proton acceleration in the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA) regime.The measured proton spectra exhibit the emergence of distinct energy bunches, which we attribute to interactions between the accelerated protons and simultaneously accelerated, highly charged carbon ions (predominantly C⁶⁺).These observations are consistent with theoretical predictions in which carbon ions act as a Coulomb piston, thereby modulating the proton acceleration dynamics.
Institutions: Université de Bordeaux, UNSW Sydney, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Universidad de Salamanca, Queen's University, Queens University, Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, ENN (China), Peking University, GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Laser Technology, P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, University of Bergamo, The University of Osaka
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,900
OpenAlex ID: W7170030626
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