We put forward a new design of a compact beam transport system for intense laser-driven proton therapy,where instead of using conventional pulsed solenoids,our design relies on a helical coil irradiated by a nanosecon...We put forward a new design of a compact beam transport system for intense laser-driven proton therapy,where instead of using conventional pulsed solenoids,our design relies on a helical coil irradiated by a nanosecond laser pulse to generate strong magnetic fields for focusing protons.A pair of dipole magnets and apertures are employed to further filter protons with large divergences and low energies.Our numerical studies combine particle-in-cell simulations for laser-plasma interaction to generate high-energy monoenergetic proton beams,finite element analysis for evaluating the magnetic field distribution inside the coil,and MonteCarlo simulations for beam transport and energy deposition.Our results show that with this design,a spread-out Bragg peak in a range of several centimeters to a deep-seated tumor with a dose of approximately 16.5 cGy and fluctuation around 2% can be achieved.The instantaneous dose rate reaches up to 10^(9)Gy/s,holding the potential for future FLASH radiotherapy research.展开更多
Laser-accelerated high-flux-intensity heavy-ion beams are important for new types of accelerators.A particle-in-cell program(Smilei) is employed to simulate the entire process of Station of Extreme Light(SEL) 100 PW l...Laser-accelerated high-flux-intensity heavy-ion beams are important for new types of accelerators.A particle-in-cell program(Smilei) is employed to simulate the entire process of Station of Extreme Light(SEL) 100 PW laser-accelerated heavy particles using different nanoscale short targets with a thickness of 100 nm Cr, Fe, Ag, Ta, Au, Pb, Th and U, as well as 200 nm thick Al and Ca. An obvious stratification is observed in the simulation. The layering phenomenon is a hybrid acceleration mechanism reflecting target normal sheath acceleration and radiation pressure acceleration, and this phenomenon is understood from the simulated energy spectrum,ionization and spatial electric field distribution. According to the stratification, it is suggested that high-quality heavy-ion beams could be expected for fusion reactions to synthesize superheavy nuclei. Two plasma clusters in the stratification are observed simultaneously, which suggest new techniques for plasma experiments as well as thinner metal targets in the precision machining process.展开更多
The poloidal magnetic field( B_(p)) plays a critical role in plasma equilibrium, confinement and transport of magnetic confinement devices. Multiple diagnostic methods are needed to complement each other to obtain a m...The poloidal magnetic field( B_(p)) plays a critical role in plasma equilibrium, confinement and transport of magnetic confinement devices. Multiple diagnostic methods are needed to complement each other to obtain a more accurate B_(p) profile. Recently, the laser-driven ion-beam trace probe(LITP) has been proposed as a promising tool for diagnosing B_(p) and radial electric field( E_(r)) profiles in tokamaks [Yang X Y et al 2014 Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85 11E429]. The spherical tokamak(ST) is a promising compact device with high plasma beta and naturally large elongation. However, when applying LITP to diagnosing B_(p) in STs, the larger B_(p) invalidates the linear reconstruction relationship for conventional tokamaks, necessitating the development of a nonlinear reconstruction principle tailored to STs. This novel approach employs an iterative reconstruction method based on Newton's method to solve the nonlinear equation. Subsequently,a simulation model to reconstruct the B_(p) profile of STs is developed and the experimental setup of LITP is designed for EXL-50, a middle-sized ST. Simulation results of the reconstruction show that the relative errors of B_(p) reconstruction are mostly below 5%. Moreover, even with 5 mm measurement error on beam traces or 1 cm flux surface shape error, the average relative error of reconstruction remains below 15%, initially demonstrating the robustness of LITP in diagnosing B_(p) profiles in STs.展开更多
It is of particular interest to investigate nuclear fusion reactions generated by high-intensity lasers in plasma environments that are similar to real astrophysical conditions.We have experimentally investigated2H(d,...It is of particular interest to investigate nuclear fusion reactions generated by high-intensity lasers in plasma environments that are similar to real astrophysical conditions.We have experimentally investigated2H(d,p)3H,one of the most crucial reactions in big bang nucleosynthesis models,at the Shenguang-Ⅱlaser facility.In this work,we present a new calibration of CR-39 solidstate track detectors,which are widely employed as the main diagnostics in this type of fusion reaction experiment.We measure the dependence of the track diameter on the proton energy.It is found that the track diameters of protons with different energies are likely to be identical.We propose that in this case,the energy of the reaction products can be obtained by considering both the diameters and gray levels of these tracks.The present results would be very helpful for analyzing the2 H(d,p)3H reaction products recorded with the same batch of CR-39 solid-state track detectors.展开更多
The simultaneous measurement of the spatial profile and spectrum of laser-accelerated protons is important for further optimization of the beam qualities and applications.We report a detailed study regarding the under...The simultaneous measurement of the spatial profile and spectrum of laser-accelerated protons is important for further optimization of the beam qualities and applications.We report a detailed study regarding the underlying physics and regular procedure of such a measurement through the radioactivation of a stack composed of aluminum,copper,and CR-39 plates as well as radiochromic films(RCFs).After being radioactivated,the copper plates are placed on imaging plates(IPs)to detect the positrons emitted by the reaction products through contact imaging.The spectrum and energy-dependent spatial profile of the protons are then obtained from the IPs and confirmed by the measured ones from the RCFs and CR-39 plates.We also discuss the detection range,influence of electrons,radiation safety,and spatial resolution of this measurement.Finally,insights regarding the extension of the current method to online measurements and dynamic proton imaging are also provided.展开更多
Laser-driven flier impact experiments have been designed and performed at the SG-III prototype laser facility. The continuum phase plate（CPP） technique is used for the 3 ns quadrate laser pulse to produce a relative...Laser-driven flier impact experiments have been designed and performed at the SG-III prototype laser facility. The continuum phase plate（CPP） technique is used for the 3 ns quadrate laser pulse to produce a relatively uniform irradiated spot of 2 mm. The peak laser intensity is 2.7×10^13W/cm^2 and it accelerates the aluminum flier with a density gradient configuration to a high average speed of 21.3 km/s, as determined by the flight-of-time method with line VISAR. The flier decelerates on impact with a transparent silica window, providing a measure of the flatness of the flier after one hundred microns of flight. The subsequent shock wave acceleration, pursuing, and decay in the silica window are interpreted by hydrodynamic simulation. This method provides a promising method to create unique conditions for the study of a material＇s properties.展开更多
One of the most challenging tasks in the laser-driven Hugoniot experiment is how to increase the reproducibility and precision of the experimental data to meet the stringent requirement in validating equation of state...One of the most challenging tasks in the laser-driven Hugoniot experiment is how to increase the reproducibility and precision of the experimental data to meet the stringent requirement in validating equation of state models. In such cases, the contribution of intrinsic uncertainty becomes important and cannot be ignored. A detailed analysis of the intrinsic uncertainty of the aluminum-iron impedance-match experiment based on the measurement of velocities is presented. The influence of mirror-reflection approximation on the shocked pressure of Fe and intrinsic uncertainties from the equation of state uncertainty of standard material are quantified, Furthermore, the comparison of intrinsic uncertainties of four different experimental approaches is presented. It is shown that, compared with other approaches including the most widely used approach which relies on the measurements of the shock velocities of AI and Fe, the approach which relies on the measurement of the particle velocity of Al and the shock velocity of Fe has the smallest intrinsic uncertainty, which would promote such work to significantly improve the diagnostics precision in such an approach.展开更多
Particle accelerators are indispensable tools in both science and industry.However,the size and cost of conventional RF accelerators limits the utility and scope of this technology.Recent research has shown that a die...Particle accelerators are indispensable tools in both science and industry.However,the size and cost of conventional RF accelerators limits the utility and scope of this technology.Recent research has shown that a dielectric laser accelerator(DLA)made of dielectric structures and driven at optical frequencies can generate particle beams with energies ranging from MeV to GeV at the tabletop level.To design DLA structures with a high acceleration gradient,we demonstrate topology optimization,which is a method used to optimize the material distribution in a specific area based on given load conditions,constraints,and performance indicators.To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach,we propose two schemes and design several acceleration structures based on them.The optimization results demonstrate that the proposed method can be applied to structure optimization for on-chip integrated laser accelerators,producing manufacturable structures with significantly improved performance compared with previous size or shape optimization methods.These results provide new physical approaches to explore ultrafast dynamics in matter,with important implications for future laser particle accelerators based on photonic chips.展开更多
Short-lived medical isotopes and their generators are typically produced in nuclear reactors and cyclotrons that require extensive facilities.However,considering the environmental concerns and economic costs of these ...Short-lived medical isotopes and their generators are typically produced in nuclear reactors and cyclotrons that require extensive facilities.However,considering the environmental concerns and economic costs of these traditional approaches,modern laser technology,which provides extremely strong electric fields within tabletop-sized areas,can serve as a potential supplementary method.Focusing specifically on the(γ,p)generation of the vital medical isotopes^(47)Sc and^(67)Cu,we used both experimental results and PIC-GEANT4 simulations to demonstrate that laser-induced photonuclear reaction is a promising method for isotope production.We developed a model capable of calculating isotope yields under various laser conditions and acceleration mechanisms.The findings revealed that a 200 TW laser can sufficiently produce diagnostic amounts of^(47)Sc and^(67)Cu,while simultaneously providing high specific activity,which is significant in medical applications for improving treatment efficacy,enhancing image resolution,and reducing side effects.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Nos.2022YFA1603200 and 2022YFA1603201)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12135001,11921006,12475243 and 11825502)+1 种基金Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS(No.XDA25050900)support from the National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar(No.11825502)。
文摘We put forward a new design of a compact beam transport system for intense laser-driven proton therapy,where instead of using conventional pulsed solenoids,our design relies on a helical coil irradiated by a nanosecond laser pulse to generate strong magnetic fields for focusing protons.A pair of dipole magnets and apertures are employed to further filter protons with large divergences and low energies.Our numerical studies combine particle-in-cell simulations for laser-plasma interaction to generate high-energy monoenergetic proton beams,finite element analysis for evaluating the magnetic field distribution inside the coil,and MonteCarlo simulations for beam transport and energy deposition.Our results show that with this design,a spread-out Bragg peak in a range of several centimeters to a deep-seated tumor with a dose of approximately 16.5 cGy and fluctuation around 2% can be achieved.The instantaneous dose rate reaches up to 10^(9)Gy/s,holding the potential for future FLASH radiotherapy research.
基金support from the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.XDB34030000)the National Key R & D Program of China (No.2022YFA1602404)+2 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. U1832129)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No.2017309)the Program for Innovative Research Team (in Science and Technology) in University of Henan Province of China (No.21IRTSTHN011)。
文摘Laser-accelerated high-flux-intensity heavy-ion beams are important for new types of accelerators.A particle-in-cell program(Smilei) is employed to simulate the entire process of Station of Extreme Light(SEL) 100 PW laser-accelerated heavy particles using different nanoscale short targets with a thickness of 100 nm Cr, Fe, Ag, Ta, Au, Pb, Th and U, as well as 200 nm thick Al and Ca. An obvious stratification is observed in the simulation. The layering phenomenon is a hybrid acceleration mechanism reflecting target normal sheath acceleration and radiation pressure acceleration, and this phenomenon is understood from the simulated energy spectrum,ionization and spatial electric field distribution. According to the stratification, it is suggested that high-quality heavy-ion beams could be expected for fusion reactions to synthesize superheavy nuclei. Two plasma clusters in the stratification are observed simultaneously, which suggest new techniques for plasma experiments as well as thinner metal targets in the precision machining process.
基金the support of National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2022YFA1604600)State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Technology。
文摘The poloidal magnetic field( B_(p)) plays a critical role in plasma equilibrium, confinement and transport of magnetic confinement devices. Multiple diagnostic methods are needed to complement each other to obtain a more accurate B_(p) profile. Recently, the laser-driven ion-beam trace probe(LITP) has been proposed as a promising tool for diagnosing B_(p) and radial electric field( E_(r)) profiles in tokamaks [Yang X Y et al 2014 Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85 11E429]. The spherical tokamak(ST) is a promising compact device with high plasma beta and naturally large elongation. However, when applying LITP to diagnosing B_(p) in STs, the larger B_(p) invalidates the linear reconstruction relationship for conventional tokamaks, necessitating the development of a nonlinear reconstruction principle tailored to STs. This novel approach employs an iterative reconstruction method based on Newton's method to solve the nonlinear equation. Subsequently,a simulation model to reconstruct the B_(p) profile of STs is developed and the experimental setup of LITP is designed for EXL-50, a middle-sized ST. Simulation results of the reconstruction show that the relative errors of B_(p) reconstruction are mostly below 5%. Moreover, even with 5 mm measurement error on beam traces or 1 cm flux surface shape error, the average relative error of reconstruction remains below 15%, initially demonstrating the robustness of LITP in diagnosing B_(p) profiles in STs.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Project(No.2016YFA0400502)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11775312).
文摘It is of particular interest to investigate nuclear fusion reactions generated by high-intensity lasers in plasma environments that are similar to real astrophysical conditions.We have experimentally investigated2H(d,p)3H,one of the most crucial reactions in big bang nucleosynthesis models,at the Shenguang-Ⅱlaser facility.In this work,we present a new calibration of CR-39 solidstate track detectors,which are widely employed as the main diagnostics in this type of fusion reaction experiment.We measure the dependence of the track diameter on the proton energy.It is found that the track diameters of protons with different energies are likely to be identical.We propose that in this case,the energy of the reaction products can be obtained by considering both the diameters and gray levels of these tracks.The present results would be very helpful for analyzing the2 H(d,p)3H reaction products recorded with the same batch of CR-39 solid-state track detectors.
基金supported by the Institute for Basic ScienceKorea under the project code IBS-R012-D1by the Ultrashort Quantum Beam Facility(UQBF)operation program(No.140011)through APRI,GIST。
文摘The simultaneous measurement of the spatial profile and spectrum of laser-accelerated protons is important for further optimization of the beam qualities and applications.We report a detailed study regarding the underlying physics and regular procedure of such a measurement through the radioactivation of a stack composed of aluminum,copper,and CR-39 plates as well as radiochromic films(RCFs).After being radioactivated,the copper plates are placed on imaging plates(IPs)to detect the positrons emitted by the reaction products through contact imaging.The spectrum and energy-dependent spatial profile of the protons are then obtained from the IPs and confirmed by the measured ones from the RCFs and CR-39 plates.We also discuss the detection range,influence of electrons,radiation safety,and spatial resolution of this measurement.Finally,insights regarding the extension of the current method to online measurements and dynamic proton imaging are also provided.
文摘Laser-driven flier impact experiments have been designed and performed at the SG-III prototype laser facility. The continuum phase plate（CPP） technique is used for the 3 ns quadrate laser pulse to produce a relatively uniform irradiated spot of 2 mm. The peak laser intensity is 2.7×10^13W/cm^2 and it accelerates the aluminum flier with a density gradient configuration to a high average speed of 21.3 km/s, as determined by the flight-of-time method with line VISAR. The flier decelerates on impact with a transparent silica window, providing a measure of the flatness of the flier after one hundred microns of flight. The subsequent shock wave acceleration, pursuing, and decay in the silica window are interpreted by hydrodynamic simulation. This method provides a promising method to create unique conditions for the study of a material＇s properties.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11305156 and 11305159
文摘One of the most challenging tasks in the laser-driven Hugoniot experiment is how to increase the reproducibility and precision of the experimental data to meet the stringent requirement in validating equation of state models. In such cases, the contribution of intrinsic uncertainty becomes important and cannot be ignored. A detailed analysis of the intrinsic uncertainty of the aluminum-iron impedance-match experiment based on the measurement of velocities is presented. The influence of mirror-reflection approximation on the shocked pressure of Fe and intrinsic uncertainties from the equation of state uncertainty of standard material are quantified, Furthermore, the comparison of intrinsic uncertainties of four different experimental approaches is presented. It is shown that, compared with other approaches including the most widely used approach which relies on the measurements of the shock velocities of AI and Fe, the approach which relies on the measurement of the particle velocity of Al and the shock velocity of Fe has the smallest intrinsic uncertainty, which would promote such work to significantly improve the diagnostics precision in such an approach.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12004353,11975214,11991071,11905202,12174350)Key Laboratory Foundation of The Sciences and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory(No.6142A04200103)Independent scientific research(No.JCKYS2021212011).
文摘Particle accelerators are indispensable tools in both science and industry.However,the size and cost of conventional RF accelerators limits the utility and scope of this technology.Recent research has shown that a dielectric laser accelerator(DLA)made of dielectric structures and driven at optical frequencies can generate particle beams with energies ranging from MeV to GeV at the tabletop level.To design DLA structures with a high acceleration gradient,we demonstrate topology optimization,which is a method used to optimize the material distribution in a specific area based on given load conditions,constraints,and performance indicators.To demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach,we propose two schemes and design several acceleration structures based on them.The optimization results demonstrate that the proposed method can be applied to structure optimization for on-chip integrated laser accelerators,producing manufacturable structures with significantly improved performance compared with previous size or shape optimization methods.These results provide new physical approaches to explore ultrafast dynamics in matter,with important implications for future laser particle accelerators based on photonic chips.
文摘Short-lived medical isotopes and their generators are typically produced in nuclear reactors and cyclotrons that require extensive facilities.However,considering the environmental concerns and economic costs of these traditional approaches,modern laser technology,which provides extremely strong electric fields within tabletop-sized areas,can serve as a potential supplementary method.Focusing specifically on the(γ,p)generation of the vital medical isotopes^(47)Sc and^(67)Cu,we used both experimental results and PIC-GEANT4 simulations to demonstrate that laser-induced photonuclear reaction is a promising method for isotope production.We developed a model capable of calculating isotope yields under various laser conditions and acceleration mechanisms.The findings revealed that a 200 TW laser can sufficiently produce diagnostic amounts of^(47)Sc and^(67)Cu,while simultaneously providing high specific activity,which is significant in medical applications for improving treatment efficacy,enhancing image resolution,and reducing side effects.
