Ultrashort and powerful laser interactions with a target generate intense wideband electromagnetic pulses(EMPs).In this study,we report EMPs generated by the interactions between petawatt(30 fs,1.4×10^(20) W/cm^(...Ultrashort and powerful laser interactions with a target generate intense wideband electromagnetic pulses(EMPs).In this study,we report EMPs generated by the interactions between petawatt(30 fs,1.4×10^(20) W/cm^(2))femtosecond(fs)lasers with metal flat,plastic flat,and plastic nanowire-array(NWA)targets.Detailed analyses are conducted on the EMPs in terms of their spatial distribution,time and frequency domains,radiation energy,and protection.The results indicate that EMPs from metal targets exhibit larger amplitudes at varying angles than those generated by other types of targets and are enhanced significantly for NWA targets.Using a plastic target holder and increasing the laser focal spot can significantly decrease the radiation energy of the EMPs.Moreover,the composite shielding materials indicate an effective shielding effect against EMPs.The simulation results show that the NWA targets exert a collimating effect on thermal electrons,which directly affects the distribution of EMPs.This study provides guidance for regulating EMPs by controlling the laser focal spot,target parameters,and target rod material and is beneficial for electromagnetic-shielding design.展开更多
In this work,the high-energy-density plasmas(HEDP)evolved from joule-class-femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array(NWA)targets were numerically and experimentally studied.The results of particle-in-cell simulation...In this work,the high-energy-density plasmas(HEDP)evolved from joule-class-femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array(NWA)targets were numerically and experimentally studied.The results of particle-in-cell simulations indicate that ions accelerated in the sheath field around the surfaces of the nanowires are eventually confined in a plasma,contributing most to the high energy densities.The protons emitted from the front surfaces of the NWA targets provide rich information about the interactions that occur.We give the electron and ion energy densities for broad target parameter ranges.The ion energy densities from NWA targets were found to be an order of magnitude higher than those from planar targets,and the volume of the HEDP was several-fold greater.At optimal target parameters,8%of the laser energy can be converted to confined protons,and this results in ion energy densities at the GJ/cm^(3) level.In the experiments,the measured energy of the emitted protons reached 4 MeV,and the changes in energy with the NWA’s parameters were found to fit the simulation results well.Experimental measurements of neutrons from 2H(d,n)3He fusion with a yield of(24±18)×10^(6)/J from deuterated polyethylene NWA targets also confirmed these results.展开更多
Laser-accelerated ion beams(LIBs) have been increasingly applied in the field of material irradiation in recent years due to the unique properties of ultra-short beam duration, extremely high beam current, etc. Here w...Laser-accelerated ion beams(LIBs) have been increasingly applied in the field of material irradiation in recent years due to the unique properties of ultra-short beam duration, extremely high beam current, etc. Here we explore an application of using laser-accelerated ion beams to prepare graphene. The pulsed LIBs produced a great instantaneous beam current and thermal effect on the SiC samples with a shooting frequency of 1 Hz. In the experiment, we controlled the deposition dose by adjusting the number of shootings and the irradiating current by adjusting the distance between the sample and the ion source. During annealing at 1100℃, we found that the 190 shots ion beams allowed more carbon atoms to self-assemble into graphene than the 10 shots case. By comparing with the controlled experiment based on ion beams from a traditional ion accelerator, we found that the laser-accelerated ion beams could cause greater damage in a very short time. Significant thermal effect was induced when the irradiation distance was reduced to less than 1 cm, which could make partial SiC self-annealing to prepare graphene dots directly. The special effects of LIBs indicate their vital role to change the structure of the irradiation sample.展开更多
Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves(GWs).The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the...Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves(GWs).The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the times-of-arrival of widely spaced pulsar-pairs.The Chinese Pulsar Timing Array(CPTA)is a collaboration aiming at the direct GW detection with observations carried out using Chinese radio telescopes.This short article serves as a“table of contents”for a forthcoming series of papers related to the CPTA Data Release 1(CPTA DR1)which uses observations from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope.Here,after summarizing the time span and accuracy of CPTA DR1,we report the key results of our statistical inference finding a correlated signal with amplitude logA_(c)=-14.4_(-2.8)^(+1.0)for spectral index in the range ofα∈[-1.8,1.5]assuming a GW background(GWB)induced quadrupolar correlation.The search for the Hellings–Downs(HD)correlation curve is also presented,where some evidence for the HD correlation has been found that a 4.6σstatistical significance is achieved using the discrete frequency method around the frequency of 14 n Hz.We expect that the future International Pulsar Timing Array data analysis and the next CPTA data release will be more sensitive to the n Hz GWB,which could verify the current results.展开更多
Under the irradiation of ultraintense laser pulses,targets made of gas,solid,or artificial materials can generate high-energy electrons,ions,and X-rays comparable to conventional accelerators or national light source ...Under the irradiation of ultraintense laser pulses,targets made of gas,solid,or artificial materials can generate high-energy electrons,ions,and X-rays comparable to conventional accelerators or national light source facilities.Designing and creating high-performance targets are the core problems for laser acceleration.Nanotechnology and nanomaterials can help to build ideal targets that do not exist in nature.This paper reviews the advances in exploiting carbon nanotubes as outstanding targets for laser-driven particle acceleration in memory of Prof.Sishen Xie,the inventor of the fabrication method.We hope that the successful implementation of such targets in enhanced ion acceleration,high-efficiency electron acceleration,and brilliant X-ray generation could attract more interdiscipline interests and promote the development of this field.展开更多
Post-acceleration of protons in helical coil targets driven by intense,ultrashort laser pulses can enhance ion energy by utilizing the transient current from the targets’self-discharge.The acceleration length of prot...Post-acceleration of protons in helical coil targets driven by intense,ultrashort laser pulses can enhance ion energy by utilizing the transient current from the targets’self-discharge.The acceleration length of protons can exceed a few millimeters,and the acceleration gradient is of the order of GeV/m.How to ensure the synchronization between the accelerating electric field and the protons is a crucial problem for efficient post-acceleration.In this paper,we study how the electric field mismatch induced by current dispersion affects the synchronous acceleration of protons.We propose a scheme using a two-stage helical coil to control the current dispersion.With optimized parameters,the energy gain of protons is increased by four times.Proton energy is expected to reach 45 MeV using a hundreds-of-terawatts laser,or more than 100 MeV using a petawatt laser,by controlling the current dispersion.展开更多
Laser-driven proton-induced x-ray emission(laser-PIXE) is a nuclear analysis method based on the compact laser ion accelerator. Due to the transient process of ion acceleration, the laser-PIXE signals are usually spur...Laser-driven proton-induced x-ray emission(laser-PIXE) is a nuclear analysis method based on the compact laser ion accelerator. Due to the transient process of ion acceleration, the laser-PIXE signals are usually spurted within nanoseconds and accompanied by strong electromagnetic pulses(EMP), so traditional multi-channel detectors are no longer applicable.In this work, we designed a reflective elliptical crystal spectrometer for the diagnosis of laser-PIXE. The device can detect the energy range of 1 keV–11 ke V with a high resolution. A calibration experiment was completed on the electrostatic accelerator of Peking University using samples of Al, Ti, Cu, and ceramic artifacts. The detection efficiency of the elliptical crystal spectrometer was obtained in the order of 10-9.展开更多
Carbon nanotube foams(CNFs)have been successfully used as near-critical-density targets in the laser-driven acceleration of high-energy ions and electrons.Here we report the recent advances in the fabrication techniqu...Carbon nanotube foams(CNFs)have been successfully used as near-critical-density targets in the laser-driven acceleration of high-energy ions and electrons.Here we report the recent advances in the fabrication technique of such targets.With the further developed floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition(FCCVD)method,large-area(>25 cm^(2))and highly uniform CNFs are successfully deposited on nanometer-thin metal or plastic foils as double-layer targets.The density and thickness of the CNF can be controlled in the range of 1−13 mg/cm^(3)and 10−200µm,respectively,by varying the synthesis parameters.The dependence of the target properties on the synthesis parameters and the details of the target characterization methods are presented for the first time.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12122501,11975037,61631001,and 11921006)the National Grand Instrument Project(Nos.2019YFF01014400,2019YFF01014404)the Foundation of Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory(No.6142A04220108).
文摘Ultrashort and powerful laser interactions with a target generate intense wideband electromagnetic pulses(EMPs).In this study,we report EMPs generated by the interactions between petawatt(30 fs,1.4×10^(20) W/cm^(2))femtosecond(fs)lasers with metal flat,plastic flat,and plastic nanowire-array(NWA)targets.Detailed analyses are conducted on the EMPs in terms of their spatial distribution,time and frequency domains,radiation energy,and protection.The results indicate that EMPs from metal targets exhibit larger amplitudes at varying angles than those generated by other types of targets and are enhanced significantly for NWA targets.Using a plastic target holder and increasing the laser focal spot can significantly decrease the radiation energy of the EMPs.Moreover,the composite shielding materials indicate an effective shielding effect against EMPs.The simulation results show that the NWA targets exert a collimating effect on thermal electrons,which directly affects the distribution of EMPs.This study provides guidance for regulating EMPs by controlling the laser focal spot,target parameters,and target rod material and is beneficial for electromagnetic-shielding design.
基金This work was supported by the NSFC innovation group project(Grant No.11921006)the National Grand Instrument Project(Grant No.2019YFF01014402)+1 种基金the United States Department of Energy(Grant No.DE-FG03-93ER40773)the NNSA(Grant No.DENA0003841)(CENTAUR).The PIC simulations were carried out using the High-Performance Computing Platform of Peking University。
文摘In this work,the high-energy-density plasmas(HEDP)evolved from joule-class-femtosecond-laser-irradiated nanowire-array(NWA)targets were numerically and experimentally studied.The results of particle-in-cell simulations indicate that ions accelerated in the sheath field around the surfaces of the nanowires are eventually confined in a plasma,contributing most to the high energy densities.The protons emitted from the front surfaces of the NWA targets provide rich information about the interactions that occur.We give the electron and ion energy densities for broad target parameter ranges.The ion energy densities from NWA targets were found to be an order of magnitude higher than those from planar targets,and the volume of the HEDP was several-fold greater.At optimal target parameters,8%of the laser energy can be converted to confined protons,and this results in ion energy densities at the GJ/cm^(3) level.In the experiments,the measured energy of the emitted protons reached 4 MeV,and the changes in energy with the NWA’s parameters were found to fit the simulation results well.Experimental measurements of neutrons from 2H(d,n)3He fusion with a yield of(24±18)×10^(6)/J from deuterated polyethylene NWA targets also confirmed these results.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11875077,11975037,and 11921006)the National Grand Instrument Project of China(Grant Nos.2019YFF01014400 and 2019YFF01014404).
文摘Laser-accelerated ion beams(LIBs) have been increasingly applied in the field of material irradiation in recent years due to the unique properties of ultra-short beam duration, extremely high beam current, etc. Here we explore an application of using laser-accelerated ion beams to prepare graphene. The pulsed LIBs produced a great instantaneous beam current and thermal effect on the SiC samples with a shooting frequency of 1 Hz. In the experiment, we controlled the deposition dose by adjusting the number of shootings and the irradiating current by adjusting the distance between the sample and the ion source. During annealing at 1100℃, we found that the 190 shots ion beams allowed more carbon atoms to self-assemble into graphene than the 10 shots case. By comparing with the controlled experiment based on ion beams from a traditional ion accelerator, we found that the laser-accelerated ion beams could cause greater damage in a very short time. Significant thermal effect was induced when the irradiation distance was reduced to less than 1 cm, which could make partial SiC self-annealing to prepare graphene dots directly. The special effects of LIBs indicate their vital role to change the structure of the irradiation sample.
基金supported by the National SKA Program of China(2020SKA0120100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12041303 and 12250410246)+1 种基金the CAS-MPG LEGACY projectfunding from the Max-Planck Partner Group。
文摘Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves(GWs).The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the times-of-arrival of widely spaced pulsar-pairs.The Chinese Pulsar Timing Array(CPTA)is a collaboration aiming at the direct GW detection with observations carried out using Chinese radio telescopes.This short article serves as a“table of contents”for a forthcoming series of papers related to the CPTA Data Release 1(CPTA DR1)which uses observations from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope.Here,after summarizing the time span and accuracy of CPTA DR1,we report the key results of our statistical inference finding a correlated signal with amplitude logA_(c)=-14.4_(-2.8)^(+1.0)for spectral index in the range ofα∈[-1.8,1.5]assuming a GW background(GWB)induced quadrupolar correlation.The search for the Hellings–Downs(HD)correlation curve is also presented,where some evidence for the HD correlation has been found that a 4.6σstatistical significance is achieved using the discrete frequency method around the frequency of 14 n Hz.We expect that the future International Pulsar Timing Array data analysis and the next CPTA data release will be more sensitive to the n Hz GWB,which could verify the current results.
基金supported by the following projects:the National Natural Science Foundation of China Innovation Group Project(No.11921006)National Grand Instrument Project(No.2019YFF01014402)National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.12225501).
文摘Under the irradiation of ultraintense laser pulses,targets made of gas,solid,or artificial materials can generate high-energy electrons,ions,and X-rays comparable to conventional accelerators or national light source facilities.Designing and creating high-performance targets are the core problems for laser acceleration.Nanotechnology and nanomaterials can help to build ideal targets that do not exist in nature.This paper reviews the advances in exploiting carbon nanotubes as outstanding targets for laser-driven particle acceleration in memory of Prof.Sishen Xie,the inventor of the fabrication method.We hope that the successful implementation of such targets in enhanced ion acceleration,high-efficiency electron acceleration,and brilliant X-ray generation could attract more interdiscipline interests and promote the development of this field.
基金the NSFC Innovation Group Project(No.11921006)the National Grand Instrument Project(No.2019YFF01014402)+1 种基金the Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project(No.2021B0909050006)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.12225501).
文摘Post-acceleration of protons in helical coil targets driven by intense,ultrashort laser pulses can enhance ion energy by utilizing the transient current from the targets’self-discharge.The acceleration length of protons can exceed a few millimeters,and the acceleration gradient is of the order of GeV/m.How to ensure the synchronization between the accelerating electric field and the protons is a crucial problem for efficient post-acceleration.In this paper,we study how the electric field mismatch induced by current dispersion affects the synchronous acceleration of protons.We propose a scheme using a two-stage helical coil to control the current dispersion.With optimized parameters,the energy gain of protons is increased by four times.Proton energy is expected to reach 45 MeV using a hundreds-of-terawatts laser,or more than 100 MeV using a petawatt laser,by controlling the current dispersion.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11975037 and 11921006)the National Grand Instrument Project of China (Grant Nos. 2019YFF01014400 and 2019YFF01014404)。
文摘Laser-driven proton-induced x-ray emission(laser-PIXE) is a nuclear analysis method based on the compact laser ion accelerator. Due to the transient process of ion acceleration, the laser-PIXE signals are usually spurted within nanoseconds and accompanied by strong electromagnetic pulses(EMP), so traditional multi-channel detectors are no longer applicable.In this work, we designed a reflective elliptical crystal spectrometer for the diagnosis of laser-PIXE. The device can detect the energy range of 1 keV–11 ke V with a high resolution. A calibration experiment was completed on the electrostatic accelerator of Peking University using samples of Al, Ti, Cu, and ceramic artifacts. The detection efficiency of the elliptical crystal spectrometer was obtained in the order of 10-9.
基金National Grand Instrument Project(No.2019YFF01014402)NSFC innovation group project(No.11921006)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11775010,11535001,and 61631001).
文摘Carbon nanotube foams(CNFs)have been successfully used as near-critical-density targets in the laser-driven acceleration of high-energy ions and electrons.Here we report the recent advances in the fabrication technique of such targets.With the further developed floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition(FCCVD)method,large-area(>25 cm^(2))and highly uniform CNFs are successfully deposited on nanometer-thin metal or plastic foils as double-layer targets.The density and thickness of the CNF can be controlled in the range of 1−13 mg/cm^(3)and 10−200µm,respectively,by varying the synthesis parameters.The dependence of the target properties on the synthesis parameters and the details of the target characterization methods are presented for the first time.
