Ion acceleration from thin foil and extended plasma targets by slow electromagnetic wave and related ion-ion beam instability

Bulanov, S. V.; Esirkepov, T. Z.; 神門 正城; Pegoraro, F.*; Bulanov, S. S.*; Geddes, C. G. R.*; Schroeder, C. B.*; Esarey, E.*; Leemans, W. P.*

Physics of Plasmas, 19(10), p.103105_1 - 103105_10, 2012/10

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4757981

When the ions are accelerated by the radiation pressure of the laser pulse, their velocity can not exceed the laser group velocity, in the case when it is less than the speed of light in vacuum. This is demonstrated in two cases corresponding to the thin foil target irradiated by a high intensity laser light and to the hole boring by the laser pulse in the extended plasma accompanied by the collisionless shock wave formation. It is found that the beams of accelerated at the collisionless shock wave front ions are unstable against the Buneman-like and the Weibel-like instabilities which result in the ion energy spectrum broadening.