4. JuSPARC-Kolloquium "The LIGHT project at GSI"

Generation and transport of laser accelerated ion beams

Referent:
Prof. Dr. Oliver Boine-Frankenheim (GSI und TU Darmstadt)

In the framework of the LIGHT project at GSI a dedicated test stand for the transport and focusing of laser accelerated ion beams has been set-up.

LIGHT is a collaboration of different German universities and national laboratories. The project makes use of the PHELIX laser at GSI, where protons with energies of up to 30 MeV have been accelerated from thin metal foils. The underlying mechanism is the TNSA (Transverse Normal Sheath Acceleration).

The experimental demonstration of beam collimation and transport of TNSA beams is an important step towards possible applications. In the LIGHT setup the initial collimation and focusing is provided by a pulsed solenoid or alternatively by permanent quadrupoles. High resolution measurements of the resulting beam distribution are another essential part of the project. Simulations of the different acceleration stages are crucial to interpret the results and to optimize the setup. Finally, future options will be discussed.