The simulations of charged particle acceleration from gas target at 20 TW SOKOL-P laser with intensity of 5⋅1019 W/cm2

Abstract

2D PIC code simulations have been performed for the optimization of gas jet target parameters to achieve a maximal energy and efficiency of charged particle acceleration in planned experiments at the 20 TW picosecond SOKOL-P laser. These calculations specify an opportunity to obtain energy up to Ee ∼ 200 MeV and efficiency ηe ∼ 10% for accelerated electrons and Ep ∼ 30 − 50 MeV and ηp ∼ 5% for accelerated protons in these experiments at laser intensity I ∼ 5 ⋅ 1019 W/cm2. They show the necessity of providing a formation of hydrogen jets with diameter ∼ 1mm, a gas molecule concentration ∼ 2 ⋅ 1019 cm−3 and steep density gradients ∼ 200 μm at the edge of the gas jet target for achieving these parameters of laser accelerated particle beams.