Novel high-brightness ultra-short particle sources and applications

该研究计划旨在生产新型高亮度超短粒子源，并通过这些光束获得创新应用。它将充分利用位于INRS的ALLS 200 TW激光光束线，具有高激光对比度和10 Hz重复率，达到接近10e20 W/cm²的目标强度。特别是，我将研究激光产生的质子、电子和中子源。与传统的加速器源相比，它们目前具有非常有趣的特性，并允许在医学，聚变能，环境，天体物理学领域的多种应用。该提案将受益于与国外其他国际实验室正在进行的合作。几名学生将接受这些主题的培训，以便对项目相关工作和与行业（本地和国外）有许多联系的不同创新科学有一个广泛的概述。重点关注以下主题：1)激光驱动质子源的研究与改进：探索改进激光驱动质子源的创新方法，使其更高效。2)激光产生质子的材料科学：激光驱动实验中产生的高能量流特别适合于改变材料特性或在极端条件下研究材料。3)利用激光产生粒子的辐射化学：激光产生的离子脉冲持续时间短，使其成为在低离子辐照通量下照射含水样品的良好候选者，并以非常高的时间分辨率监测瞬态离子诱导电离。4)激光驱动中子源的研究与改进：与传统的中子设备相比，激光产生的中子束可以为探测实验提供更好的时间分辨率。提出的活性预示着改进激光产生的中子源的研究，例如使用更窄的质子谱。5)研究和设计传统加速器元件对激光产生的粒子进行捕获和后加速，以改善其特性，使其成为一种创新、通用、经济高效的新型光源。

The research proposal aims to produce novel high-brightness ultra-short particle sources and innovative applications that can be obtained by these beams. It will make best use of the ALLS 200 TW laser-beamline located at INRS, with high laser contrast and 10 Hz repetition rate, reaching on target intensities of almost 10e20 W/cm². In particular, I will study laser-generated proton, electron and neutron sources. These have currently very interesting characteristics in comparison to conventional accelerator sources and allow for manifold applications in the field of medicine, fusion energy, environment, astrophysics. The proposal will profit from ongoing collaborations with other international laboratories located abroad. Several students shall be trained on those topics in order to obtain a broad overview about project related work and different innovative science with many links to industry (local and abroad). It will focus on the following topics: 1) Study and improvement of laser-driven proton sources: I will explore innovative ways to improve the laser-driven source, making it more efficient. 2) Material science with laser-generated protons: The high energy flux that is produced in laser-driven experiments is particularly suited to modify material properties or study material in extreme conditions. 3) Radiation chemistry using laser-generated particles: The short pulse duration of laser-generated ions make them a good candidate to irradiate watery samples in a low ion irradiation flux regime and to monitor the transient ion-induced ionization with very high temporal resolution. 4) Study and improvement of laser driven neutron sources: Compared to conventional neutron facilities, laser-generated neutron beam allow for a much better temporal resolution for probing experiments. The proposed activity foresees the study of improved laser-generated neutron sources, e.g. using a narrower proton spectrum. 5) Study and design of capture and post-acceleration of laser-generated particles with conventional accelerator elements to improve their characteristics and make an innovative, versatile, cost-efficient novel source.