Revealing the second harmonic generation in a femtosecond laser-driven cluster-based plasma by analyzing shapes of Ar XVII spectral lines

Oks, E.*; Dalimier, E.*; Faenov, A.*; Pikuz, T.*; Fukuda, Yuji; Andreev, A.*; Koga, J. K.; Sakaki, Hironao; Kotaki, Hideyuki; Pirozhkov, A. S.; et al.

Optics Express (Internet), 23(25), p.31991 - 32005, 2015/12

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.23.031991

We present experiments dealing with a femtosecond laser-driven cluster-based plasma, where by analyzing the nonlinear phenomenon of satellites of spectral lines of Ar XVII, we revealed the nonlinear phenomenon of the generation of the second harmonic of the laser frequency. For performing this analysis we developed new results in the theory of satellites of spectral lines. From such lineshape analysis we found, in particular, that the efficiency of converting the short (40 fs) intense (310 W/cm) incident laser light into the second harmonic was 2%. This result is in the excellent agreement with the 2-Dimensional Particle-In-Cell (2D PIC) simulation that we also performed. There is also an order of magnitude agreement between the thresholds for the SHG found from the line shape analysis and from the 2D PIC simulations.

Evaluation of wall thinning of the steel piping after long term operation at Fugen Power Station

Ando, Ryosuke; Abe, Teruyoshi; Nakamura, Takahisa

E-Journal of Advanced Maintenance (Internet), 6(4), p.153 - 164, 2015/02

http://www.jsm.or.jp/ejam/Vol.6No.4/AA/SP13/AA86/AA86.html

Wall thinning of serviced carbon steel piping of the secondary cooling system after long term operation of Advanced Thermal prototype Reactor (ATR) Fugen power station has been investigated as a series of evaluation of validity and availability of utilization of serviced materials on research projects focused on aging management. Reliability of wall thinning rates of the steel piping has been examined referring the previous inspection data. Examinations also have been made on prediction of wall thinning rates, rationalization of management of pipe wall thinning and verification of countermeasures against wall thinning.

Splash plasma channels produced by picosecond laser pulses in argon gas for laser wakefield acceleration

Mizuta, Yoshio*; Hosokai, Tomonao*; Masuda, Shinichi*; Zhidkov, A.*; Makito, Keigo*; Nakanii, Nobuhiko*; Kajino, Shohei*; Nishida, Akinori*; Kando, Masaki; Mori, Michiaki; et al.

Physical Review Special Topics; Accelerators and Beams, 15(12), p.121301_1 - 121301_10, 2012/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.15.121301

Interaction of high contrast laser pulse with foam-attached target

Nakamura, Tatsufumi; Tampo, Motonobu; Kodama, Ryosuke*; Bulanov, S. V.; Kando, Masaki

Physics of Plasmas, 17(11), p.113107_1 - 113107_6, 2010/11

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3507294

Interactions of high contrast laser pulses with foam-attached targets are investigated via Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations in order to enhance the energy coupling from laser to plasmas. A foam layer whose mass density is much lower than that of the solid state is used for controlling the plasma density distribution of the laser irradiation region with the aid of the high contrast laser pulses. The ionization process plays a role in the laser and foam interaction, which results in the formation of periodic structure of ion charge density. The bulk electrons inside the foam layer are heated by the laser pulse, which results in the generation of abundant MeV electrons and higher energy coupling from laser to plasma. These features are utilized for laser ion acceleration by using a foam-attached thin foil target. It is shown that the laser accelerated ion energy is enhanced by properly choosing the foam parameters.

Ion acceleration in the interaction of short pulse laser radiation with the cluster-gas target

Fukuda, Yuji; Faenov, A. Y.; Tampo, Motonobu; Pikuz, T. A.*; Nakamura, Tatsufumi; Kando, Masaki; Hayashi, Yukio; Yogo, Akifumi; Sakaki, Hironao; Kameshima, Takashi; et al.

AIP Conference Proceedings 1153, p.85 - 93, 2009/07

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3204561

When the target consists of solid-density clusters embedded in the background gas, its irradiation by high intensity laser light renders ion acceleration a truly unique property. We present that the cluster-gas target, which consists of submicron-sized clusters and background gases, irradiated by a few TW laser pulse produces high energy ions upward of the order of 10-20 MeV/n in the forward direction.

Ion acceleration in the interaction of short pulse laser radiation with the cluster-gas targets

Fukuda, Yuji; Faenov, A. Y.; Tampo, Motonobu; Yogo, Akifumi; Pikuz, T. A.*; Kando, Masaki; Kotaki, Hideyuki; Daito, Izuru; Hayashi, Yukio; Kawase, Keigo; et al.

no journal, , 

A near-critical plasma cloud embedded in an underdense plasma, created by the interaction of laser prepulses with the cluster-gas target, is irradiated by the high-repetition laser pulses. Through a shadowgraphy, observed is a 3-mm long stable channel formation, from which high energy ions, accelerated up to 10 MeV/n in the laser propagation direction, are detected in a stack of plastic nuclear track detectors.

Energy increase in laser-driven multi-MeV ion generation using a cluster-gas target

Fukuda, Yuji; Faenov, A. Y.; Tampo, Motonobu; Pikuz, T. A.*; Nakamura, Tatsufumi; Kando, Masaki; Hayashi, Yukio; Homma, Takayuki; Kawase, Keigo; Yogo, Akifumi; et al.

no journal, , 

We demonstrate generation of 10-20 MeV/u ions with a compact 4 TW laser using a gas target mixed with submicron clusters, corresponding to tenfold increase in the ion energies compared to previous experiments with solid targets. It is inferred that the high energy ions are generated due to formation of a strong dipole vortex structure.

Ion acceleration via interaction of intense laser pulse with cluster-gas target

Fukuda, Yuji; Faenov, A.*; Tampo, Motonobu; Pikuz, T. A.*; Nakamura, Tatsufumi; Kando, Masaki; Hayashi, Yukio; Yogo, Akifumi; Sakaki, Hironao; Kawase, Keigo; et al.

no journal, , 

We present substantial enhancement of the accelerated ion energies up to 10-20 MeV per nucleon by utilizing the unique properties of the cluster-gas target irradiated with 40-fs laser pulses of only 150 mJ energy, corresponding to approximately tenfold increase in the ion energies compared to previous experiments using thin foil targets. A particle-in-cell simulation infers that the high energy ions are generated at the rear side of the target due to the formation of a strong dipole vortex structure in sub-critical density plasmas. The demonstrated method can be important in the development of efficient laser ion accelerators for hadron therapy and other applications.

Evaluation of wall thinning of the steel piping after long term operation at "Fugen" Power Station

Ando, Ryosuke; Abe, Teruyoshi; Nakamura, Takahisa

no journal, , 

Wall thinning of the steel piping of secondary cooling system after long term operation using the served materials of "Fugen" Power Station has been investigated as a series of the evaluation of the validity and availability of the utilization of serviced materials on the research projects focused on the aging. Reliability of the wall thinning rate of the steel piping has been examined referring the previous inspection data. Besides, prediction of the wall thinning rate, rationalization of the management of pipe wall thinning and verification of the countermeasures against wall thinning, have been also examined.