Rights statement: © 2006 American Physical Society
Final published version, 665 KB, PDF document
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Article number | 245002 |
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark> | 23/06/2006 |
<mark>Journal</mark> | Physical review letters |
Issue number | 24 |
Volume | 96 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Publication Status | Published |
<mark>Original language</mark> | English |
A beam of multi-MeV helium ions has been observed from the interaction of a short-pulse high-intensity laser pulse with underdense helium plasma. The ion beam was found to have a maximum energy for He2+ of (40(-8)(+3)) MeV and was directional along the laser propagation path, with the highest energy ions being collimated to a cone of less than 10 degrees. 2D particle-in-cell simulations show that the ions are accelerated by a sheath electric field that is produced at the back of the gas target. This electric field is generated by transfer of laser energy to a hot electron beam, which exits the target generating large space-charge fields normal to its boundary.