
Proceedings Paper
Proton- and x-ray beams generated by ultra-fast CO[sub]2[/sub] lasers for medical applicationsFormat | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
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Paper Abstract
Recent progress in using picosecond CO2 lasers for Thomson scattering and ion-acceleration experiments underlines
their potentials for enabling secondary radiation- and particle- sources. These experiments capitalize on certain
advantages of long-wavelength CO2 lasers, such as higher number of photons per energy unit, and favorable scaling of
the electrons' ponderomotive energy and critical plasma density. The high-flux x-ray bursts produced by Thomson
scattering of the CO2 laser off a counter-propagating electron beam enabled high-contrast, time-resolved imaging of
biological objects in the picosecond time frame. In different experiments, the laser, focused on a hydrogen jet, generated
monoenergetic proton beams via the radiation-pressure mechanism. The strong power-scaling of this regime promises
realization of proton beams suitable for laser-driven proton cancer therapy after upgrading the CO2 laser to sub-PW peak
power. This planned improvement includes optimizing the 10-μm ultra-short pulse generation, assuring higher
amplification in the CO2 gas under combined isotopic- and power-broadening effects, and shortening the postamplification
pulse to a few laser cycles (150-200 fs) via chirping and compression. These developments will move us
closer to practical applications of ultra-fast CO2 lasers in medicine and other areas.
Paper Details
Date Published: 25 May 2011
PDF: 13 pages
Proc. SPIE 8079, Laser Acceleration of Electrons, Protons, and Ions; and Medical Applications of Laser-Generated Secondary Sources of Radiation and Particles, 80791L (25 May 2011); doi: 10.1117/12.889113
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8079:
Laser Acceleration of Electrons, Protons, and Ions; and Medical Applications of Laser-Generated Secondary Sources of Radiation and Particles
Wim P. Leemans; Kenneth W. D. Ledingham; Eric Esarey; Simon M. Hooker, Editor(s)
PDF: 13 pages
Proc. SPIE 8079, Laser Acceleration of Electrons, Protons, and Ions; and Medical Applications of Laser-Generated Secondary Sources of Radiation and Particles, 80791L (25 May 2011); doi: 10.1117/12.889113
Show Author Affiliations
Igor Pogorelsky, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Mikhail Polyanskiy, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Vitaly Yakimenko, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Ilan Ben-Zvi, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Peter Shkolnikov, State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook (United States)
Mikhail Polyanskiy, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Vitaly Yakimenko, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Ilan Ben-Zvi, Brookhaven National Lab. (United States)
Peter Shkolnikov, State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook (United States)
Zulfikar Najmudin, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
Charlotte A. J. Palmer, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
Nicholas P. Dover, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
Piernicola Oliva, Univ. degli Studi di Sassari (Italy)
Massimo Carpinelli, Univ. degli Studi di Sassari (Italy)
Charlotte A. J. Palmer, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
Nicholas P. Dover, Imperial College London (United Kingdom)
Piernicola Oliva, Univ. degli Studi di Sassari (Italy)
Massimo Carpinelli, Univ. degli Studi di Sassari (Italy)
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8079:
Laser Acceleration of Electrons, Protons, and Ions; and Medical Applications of Laser-Generated Secondary Sources of Radiation and Particles
Wim P. Leemans; Kenneth W. D. Ledingham; Eric Esarey; Simon M. Hooker, Editor(s)
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