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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses

Published on: July 2, 2012

Relativistic quasimonoenergetic positron jets from intense laser-solid interactions.

Hui Chen¹, S C Wilks, D D Meyerhofer

¹Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|September 28, 2010

Summary

Positrons are ejected in a collimated relativistic jet from laser-irradiated gold targets. Controlling the target

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Area of Science:

High-energy physics
Plasma physics
Laser-driven particle acceleration

Background:

Understanding particle acceleration mechanisms is crucial for fundamental physics.
Laser-matter interactions offer novel pathways for generating energetic particle beams.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the angular and energy distributions of positrons ejected from gold targets irradiated by intense picosecond laser pulses.
To determine the factors controlling positron beam properties, such as energy and divergence.

Main Methods:

Detailed angle and energy resolved measurements of ejected positrons.
Irradiation of a gold target using an intense picosecond laser pulse.
Analysis of positron beam characteristics and correlation with target sheath electric fields.

Main Results:

Positrons are ejected in a collimated relativistic jet with ~20 degree angular divergence.
Quasi-monoenergetic positron energy distributions ranging from 4 to 20 MeV observed.
Laser-positron energy conversion efficiency measured at ~2x10^-4.
Positron energy determined by the target's sheath electric field.

Conclusions:

The sheath electric field on the target surface dictates positron energy.
Positron angular and energy distributions can be controlled by modifying the sheath field via laser conditions and target geometry.