Laser-driven proton accelerator development at the Photo-Medical Research Centre in Japan

Bolton, P. R.

Proton and ion facilities for cancer treatment are rapidly being established around the globe. Energetic proton and ion yields from intense laser-plasma interactions have shown promise for the development of compact laser-driven hadron therapy facilities. Scaled laser system requirements for 200 MeV proton generation call for repetition rated PW power levels. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has established the Photo-Medical Research Centre (PMRC) which brings together researchers from academic, national laboratory, industrial and medical communities. Our main goal at PMRC is to develop efficient laser-plasma-accelerated proton and ion beams that are suitable for many applications of which the primary one is hadron cancer therapy. PMRC will be introduced and our recent progress will be presented.