Ion beam generation from high-intensity-laser dense-plasma interactions and applications

The field of forward laser-accelerated ions and protons is relatively new, existing only since 2000. This work reports on research done at the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science on proton and ion generation from intense terawatt laser interactions with up to 1019 W/cm2 on target. The source of these protons and ions is still of considerable interest, and as such we have conducted several experiments that have shown the front-side and rear-side nature of these sources for our laser conditions. The proton beam quality as a function of target conductivity is discussed, as well as beam profile manipulation via target geometry. The proton beam has also been used to create radioactive isotopes, which have great applications for nuclear medicine.