Related papers: Effects of simulation dimensionality on laser-driv…
Due to the high computational cost of 3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, lower-dimensional (2D or 1D) simulations are frequently used in their place. Our work shows that when modeling high-intensity laser ion acceleration, simulation…
Recently, using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, it has been demonstrated that in laser based proton acceleration with micro-structured targets, a single rectangular groove on the target front offers significant proton cut-off…
Dimensional effects in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) of protons are considered. As the spatial divergence of the laser-accelerated hot sheath electrons and the resulting space-charge electric…
Three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are used to investigate the interaction of ultrahigh intensity lasers ($> 10^{20}$ W/cm$^{-2}$) with matter at overcritical densities. Intense laser pulses are shown to penetrate up…
The dynamics of radiation pressure acceleration in the relativistic light sail regime are analysed by means of large scale, three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell simulations. Differently to other mechanisms, the 3D dynamics leads to…
We use analytical methods and particle-in-cell simulation to investigate the origin of electrons accelerated by the process of direct laser acceleration driven by high-power laser pulses in preformed narrow cylindrical plasma channels. The…
Charged particles are constantly accelerated to non-thermal energies by the reconnecting magnetic field in the solar atmosphere. Our understanding of the interactions between the particles and their environment can benefit from…
In this dissertation, a fully object-oriented, fully relativistic, multi-dimensional Particle-In-Cell code was developed and applied to answer key questions in plasma-based accelerator research. The simulations increase the understanding of…
We present the first 3D particle-in-cell simulations of laser driven sheath-based ion acceleration in a kilotesla-level applied magnetic field. The applied magnetic field creates two distinct stages in the acceleration process associated…
This research demonstrates high-repetition-rate laser-accelerated ion beams via dual, intersecting, counterpropagating laser-driven blast waves to precisely shape underdense gas into long-lived near-critical density targets. The collision…
We use particle-in-magnetohydrodynamics-cells to model particle acceleration and magnetic field amplification in a high Mach, parallel shock in three dimensions and compare the result to 2-D models. This allows us to determine whether 2-D…
High-brightness electron sources are a key ingredient to the development of compact accelerator-based light sources. The electron sources are commonly based on (linear) photoemission process where a laser pulse with proper wavelength…
Plasma turbulence is ubiquitous in space and astrophysical plasmas, playing an important role in plasma energization, but the physical mechanisms leading to dissipation of the turbulent energy remain to be definitively identified. Kinetic…
Using three-dimensional kinetic simulations, we examine the emission of collimated gamma-ray beams from structured laser-irradiated targets with a pre-filled cylindrical channel. The channel guides the incident laser pulse, enabling…
A 2D slab approximation of the interactions of electrons with intense linearly polarized laser radiation and static electric and magnetic fields is widely used for both numerical simulations and simplified semi-analytical models. It is…
Three-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations with the code QuickPIC are used to illustrate the typical accelerating structures associated with the interaction of an intense laser beam with an underdense plasma in the blowout regime.…
The simultaneous laser-driven acceleration and angular manipulation of the fast electron beam is experimentally demonstrated. The bunch of multi-MeV energy charged particles is generated during the propagation of the femtosecond laser pulse…
A new analytical approach for bubble deformation was used for optimization of the electron acceleration in the 3D highly nonlinear laser wake-field regime. Injection of the electron bunch with initial velocity in the bubble was considered…
The plasma-material interactions present in multiple fusion and propulsion concepts between the flow of plasma through a channel and a material wall drive the emission of secondary electrons. This emission is capable of altering the…
The nonlinear regime of laser-plasma interaction including both two-plasmon--decay (TPD) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) instabilities has been studied in three-dimensional (3-D) particle-in-cell simulations with parameters relevant…