An intense laser pulse focused onto a plasma can excite nonlinear plasma waves.Under appropriate conditions,electrons from the background plasma are trapped in the plasma wave and accelerated to ultra-relativistic vel...An intense laser pulse focused onto a plasma can excite nonlinear plasma waves.Under appropriate conditions,electrons from the background plasma are trapped in the plasma wave and accelerated to ultra-relativistic velocities.This scheme is called a laser wakefield accelerator.In this work,we present results from a laser wakefield acceleration experiment using a petawatt-class laser to excite the wakefields as well as nanoparticles to assist the injection of electrons into the accelerating phase of the wakefields.We find that a 10-cm-long,nanoparticle-assisted laser wakefield accelerator can generate 340 pC,10±1.86 GeV electron bunches with a 3.4 GeV rms convolved energy spread and a 0.9 mrad rms divergence.It can also produce bunches with lower energies in the 4–6 GeV range.展开更多
Realizing the full potential of ultrahigh-intensity lasers for particle and radiation generation will require multi-beam arrangements due to technology limitations.Here,we investigate how to optimize their coupling wi...Realizing the full potential of ultrahigh-intensity lasers for particle and radiation generation will require multi-beam arrangements due to technology limitations.Here,we investigate how to optimize their coupling with solid targets.Experimentally,we show that overlapping two intense lasers in a mirror-like configuration onto a solid with a large preplasma can greatly improve the generation of hot electrons at the target front and ion acceleration at the target backside.The underlying mechanisms are analyzed through multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations,revealing that the self-induced magnetic fields driven by the two laser beams at the target front are susceptible to reconnection,which is one possible mechanism to boost electron energization.In addition,the resistive magnetic field generated during the transport of the hot electrons in the target bulk tends to improve their collimation.Our simulations also indicate that such effects can be further enhanced by overlapping more than two laser beams.展开更多
Solar type III radio bursts are an important diagnostic tool in the understanding of solar accelerated electron beams. They are a signature of propagating beams of nonthermal electrons in the solar atmosphere and the ...Solar type III radio bursts are an important diagnostic tool in the understanding of solar accelerated electron beams. They are a signature of propagating beams of nonthermal electrons in the solar atmosphere and the solar system. Consequently, they provide information on electron acceleration and transport, and the conditions of the background ambient plasma they travel through. We review the observational properties of type III bursts with an emphasis on recent results and how each property can help identify attributes of electron beams and the ambient background plasma. We also review some of the theoretical aspects of type III radio bursts and cover a number of numerical efforts that simulate electron beam transport through the solar corona and the heliosphere.展开更多
Cluster science as a bridge linking atomic molecular physics and condensed matter inspired the nanomaterials development in the past decades, ranging from the single-atom catalysis to ligand-protected noble metal clus...Cluster science as a bridge linking atomic molecular physics and condensed matter inspired the nanomaterials development in the past decades, ranging from the single-atom catalysis to ligand-protected noble metal clusters. The corresponding studies not only have been restricted to the search for the geometrical structures of clusters, but also have promoted the development of cluster-assembled materials as the building blocks. The CALYPSO cluster prediction method combined with other computational techniques have significantly stimulated the development of the cluster-based nanomaterials. In this review, we will summarize some good cases of cluster structure by CALYPSO method, which have also been successfully identified by the photoelectron spectra experiments. Beginning with the alkali-metal clusters, which serve as benchmarks, a series of studies are performed on the size-dependent elemental clusters which possess relatively high stability and interesting chemical physical properties. Special attentions are paid to the boron-based clusters because of their promising applications. The NbSi12 and BeB16 clusters, for example, are two classic representatives of the silicon-and boron-based clusters, which can be viewed as building blocks of nanotubes and borophene. This review offers a detailed description of the structural evolutions and electronic properties of medium-sized pure and doped clusters, which will advance fundamental knowledge of cluster-based nanomaterials and provide valuable information for further theoretical and experimental studies.展开更多
In contrast to ion beams produced by conventional accelerators,ion beams accelerated by ultrashort intense laser pulses have advantages of ultrashort bunch duration and ultrahigh density,which are achieved in compact ...In contrast to ion beams produced by conventional accelerators,ion beams accelerated by ultrashort intense laser pulses have advantages of ultrashort bunch duration and ultrahigh density,which are achieved in compact size.However,it is still challenging to simultaneously enhance their quality and yield for practical applications such as fast ion ignition of inertial confinement fusion.Compared with other mechanisms of laser-driven ion acceleration,the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration has a special advantage in generating high-fluence ion beams suitable for the creation of high energy density state of matters.In this paper,we present a review on some theoretical and numerical studies of the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration.First we discuss the typical field structure associated with this mechanism,its intrinsic feature of oscillations,and the underling physics.Then we will review some recently proposed schemes to enhance the beam quality and the efficiency in the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration,such as matching laser intensity profile with target density profile,and using two-ion-species targets.Based on this,we propose an integrated scheme for efficient high-quality hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration,in which the longitudinal density profile of a composite target as well as the laser transverse intensity profile are tailored according to the matching condition.展开更多
We study a laser wakefield acceleration driven by mid-infrared （mid-IR） laser pulses through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Since a mid-IR laser pulse can deliver a larger ponderomotive force as compa...We study a laser wakefield acceleration driven by mid-infrared （mid-IR） laser pulses through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Since a mid-IR laser pulse can deliver a larger ponderomotive force as compared with the usual 0.8 μm wavelength laser pulse, it is found that electron self-injection into the wake wave occurs at an earlier time, the plasma density threshold for injection becomes lower, and the electron beam charge is substantially enhanced. Meanwhile, our study also shows that quasimonoenergetic electron beams with a narrow energy-spread can be generated by using mid-IR laser pulses. Such a mid-IR laser pulse can provide a feasible method for obtaining a high quality and high charge electron beam. Therefore, the current efforts on constructing mid-IR terawatt laser systems can greatly benefit the laser wakefield acceleration research.展开更多
Because of their ability to sustain extremely high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and transient density and field profiles,plasma optical components are being developed to amplify,compress,and condition high-power l...Because of their ability to sustain extremely high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and transient density and field profiles,plasma optical components are being developed to amplify,compress,and condition high-power laser pulses.We recently demonstrated the potential to use a relativistic plasma aperture—produced during the interaction of a high-power laser pulse with an ultrathin foil target—to tailor the spatiotemporal properties of the intense fundamental and second-harmonic light generated[Duff et al.,Sci.Rep.10,105(2020)].Herein,we explore numerically the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a preformed aperture target to generate second-harmonic laser light with higher-order spatial modes.The maximum generation efficiency is found for an aperture diameter close to the full width at half maximum of the laser focus and for a micrometer-scale target thickness.The spatial mode generated is shown to depend strongly on the polarization of the drive laser pulse,which enables changing between a linearly polarized TEM01 mode and a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian LG01 mode.This demonstrates the use of a plasma aperture to generate intense higher-frequency light with selectable spatial mode structure.展开更多
Ultra-intense short-pulse light sources are powerful tools for a wide range of applications.However,relativistic short-pulse lasers are normally generated in the near-infrared regime.Here,we present a promising and ef...Ultra-intense short-pulse light sources are powerful tools for a wide range of applications.However,relativistic short-pulse lasers are normally generated in the near-infrared regime.Here,we present a promising and efficient way to generate tunable relativistic ultrashort pulses with wavelengths above 20μm in a density-tailored plasma.In this approach,in the first stage,an intense drive laser first excites a nonlinear wake in an underdense plasma,and its photon frequency is then downshifted via phase modulation as it propagates in the plasma wake.Subsequently,in the second stage,the drive pulse enters a lower-density plasma region so that the wake has a larger plasma cavity in which longer-wavelength infrared pulses can be produced.Numerical simulations show that the resulting near-single-cycle pulses cover a broad spectral range of 10–40μm with a conversion efficiency of∼2.1%(∼34 mJ pulse energy).This enables the investigation of nonlinear infrared optics in the relativistic regime and offers new possibilities for the investigation of ultrafast phenomena and physics in strong fields.展开更多
Stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)excited by incoherent light is studied via particle-in-cell simulations.It is shown that a large bandwidth of incoherent light can reduce the growth of SRS and electron heating consider...Stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)excited by incoherent light is studied via particle-in-cell simulations.It is shown that a large bandwidth of incoherent light can reduce the growth of SRS and electron heating considerably in the linear stage.However,different components of the incoherent light can be coupled by the Langmuir waves,so that stimulated Raman backward scattering can develop.When the bandwidth of incoherent light is larger than the Langmuir wave frequency,forward SRS can be seeded between different components of the incoherent light.The incoherent light can only increase the time duration for nonlinear saturation but cannot diminish the saturation level obviously.展开更多
Sunlight-like lasers that have a continuous broad frequency spectrum,random phase spectrum,and random polarization are formulated theoretically.With a sunlight-like laser beam consisting of a sequence of temporal spec...Sunlight-like lasers that have a continuous broad frequency spectrum,random phase spectrum,and random polarization are formulated theoretically.With a sunlight-like laser beam consisting of a sequence of temporal speckles,the resonant three-wave coupling that underlies parametric instabilities in laser–plasma interactions can be greatly degraded owing to the limited duration of each speckle and the frequency shift between two adjacent speckles.The wave coupling can be further weakened by the random polarization of such beams.Numerical simulations demonstrate that the intensity threshold of stimulated Raman scattering in homogeneous plasmas can be doubled by using a sunlight-like laser beam with a relative bandwidth of∼1%as compared with a monochromatic laser beam.Consequently,the hot-electron generation harmful to inertial confinement fusion can be effectively controlled by using sunlight-like laser drivers.Such drivers may be realized in the next generation of broadband lasers by combining two or more broadband beams with independent phase spectra or by applying polarization smoothing to a single broadband beam.展开更多
Many properties of planets such as their interior structure and thermal evolution depend on the high-pressure properties of their constituent materials. This paper reviews how crystal structure prediction methodology ...Many properties of planets such as their interior structure and thermal evolution depend on the high-pressure properties of their constituent materials. This paper reviews how crystal structure prediction methodology can help shed light on the transformations materials undergo at the extreme conditions inside planets. The discussion focuses on three areas:(i) the propensity of iron to form compounds with volatile elements at planetary core conditions(important to understand the chemical makeup of Earth's inner core),(ii) the chemistry of mixtures of planetary ices(relevant for the mantle regions of giant icy planets), and(iii) examples of mantle minerals. In all cases the abilities and current limitations of crystal structure prediction are discussed across a range of example studies.展开更多
X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a well-accepted diagnostic for experimental studies of warm dense matter.It requires a short-lived X-ray source of sufficiently high emissivity and without characteristic lines in the ...X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a well-accepted diagnostic for experimental studies of warm dense matter.It requires a short-lived X-ray source of sufficiently high emissivity and without characteristic lines in the spectral range of interest.In the present work,we discuss how to choose an optimum material and thickness to get a bright source in the wavelength range 2A–6A(∼2 keV to 6 keV)by considering relatively low-Z elements.We demonstrate that the highest emissivity of solid aluminum and silicon foil targets irradiated with a 1-ps high-contrast sub-kJ laser pulse is achieved when the target thickness is close to 10μm.An outer plastic layer can increase the emissivity even further.展开更多
At sufficiently large Reynolds numbers,turbulence is expected to exhibit scale-invariance in an intermediate("inertial")range of wavenumbers,as shown by power law behavior of the energy spectrum and also by ...At sufficiently large Reynolds numbers,turbulence is expected to exhibit scale-invariance in an intermediate("inertial")range of wavenumbers,as shown by power law behavior of the energy spectrum and also by a constant rate of energy transfer through wavenumber.However,there is an apparent contradiction between the definition of the energy flux(i.e.,the integral of the transfer spectrum)and the observed behavior of the transfer spectrum itself.This is because the transfer spectrum T(k)is invariably found to have a zero-crossing at a single point(at k=k*),implying that the corresponding energy flux cannot have an extended plateau but must instead have a maximum value at k=k*.This behavior was formulated as a paradox and resolved by the introduction of filtered/partitioned transfer spectra,which exploited the symmetries of the triadic interactions(J.Phys.A:Math.Theor.,2008).In this paper we consider the more general implications of that procedure for the spectral energy balance equation,also known as the Lin equation.It is argued that the resulting modified Lin equations(and their corresponding Navier–Stokes equations)offer a new starting point for both numerical and theoretical methods,which may lead to a better understanding of the underlying energy transfer processes in turbulence.In particular the filtered partitioned transfer spectra could provide a basis for a hybrid approach to the statistical closure problem,with the different spectra being tackled using different methods.展开更多
The plasma behavior of filamentary barrier discharges in helium is simulated using a twodimensional（2D） particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo model. Four different phases have been suggested in terms of the development of th...The plasma behavior of filamentary barrier discharges in helium is simulated using a twodimensional（2D） particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo model. Four different phases have been suggested in terms of the development of the discharge： the Townsend phase; the space-charge dominated phase; the formation of the cathode layer, and the extinguishing phase. The spatialtemporal evolution of the particle densities, velocities of the charged particles, electric fields, and surface charges has been demonstrated. Our simulation provides insights into the underlying mechanism of the discharge and explains many dynamical behaviors of dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） filaments.展开更多
A real-time ion spectrometer mainly based on a high-resolution Thomson parabola and a plastic scintillator is designed and developed.The spectrometer is calibrated by protons from an electrostatic accelerator.The feas...A real-time ion spectrometer mainly based on a high-resolution Thomson parabola and a plastic scintillator is designed and developed.The spectrometer is calibrated by protons from an electrostatic accelerator.The feasibility and reliability of the diagnostics are demonstrated in laser-driven ion acceleration experiments performed on the XL-II laser facility.The proton spectrum extrapolated from the scintillator data is in excellent agreement with the CR39 spectrum in terms of beam temperature and the cutoff energy.This real-time spectrometer allows an online measurement of the ion spectra in single shot,which enables efficient and statistical studies and applications in high-repetition-rate laser acceleration experiments.展开更多
The multi-messenger observation of coalescing compact binary systems promises great scientific treasure.However,synthesising observations from both gravitational wave and electromagnetic channels remains challenging.I...The multi-messenger observation of coalescing compact binary systems promises great scientific treasure.However,synthesising observations from both gravitational wave and electromagnetic channels remains challenging.In the context of the day-to-week long emission from a macronova,the binary neutron star merger GW170817 remains the only event with successful electromagnetic followup.In this manuscript,we explore the possibility of using the early stage X-ray afterglow to search for the electromagnetic counterpart of a gravitational wave event.Two algorithms,the simple and straightforward sequential observation(SO)and the step-wise optimizing local optimization are considered and applied to some simulated events.We consider the WXT from the proposed Einstein Probe as a candidate X-ray telescope,which has a very wide field of view of 3600 deg^(2).Benefiting from the large field of view and high sensitivity,we find that the SO algorithm not only is easy to implement,but also promises a good chance of actual detection.展开更多
The design of ellipsoidal plasma mirrors(EPMs)for the PEARL laser facility is presented.The EPMs achieve a magnification of 0.32 in focal spot size,and the corresponding increase in focused intensity is expected to be...The design of ellipsoidal plasma mirrors(EPMs)for the PEARL laser facility is presented.The EPMs achieve a magnification of 0.32 in focal spot size,and the corresponding increase in focused intensity is expected to be about 8.Designing and implementing such focusing optics for short-pulse(<100 fs)systems paves the way for their use in future high-power facilities,where they can be used to achieve intensities beyond 1023W/cm^(2).A retro-imaging-based target alignment system is also described,which is used to align solid targets at the output of the ellispoidal mirrors(with a numerical aperture of 0.75 in this case).展开更多
With the advent of ultrashort high intensity laser pulses, laser absorption during the laser–solid interactions has received significant attention over the last two decades since it is related to a variety of applica...With the advent of ultrashort high intensity laser pulses, laser absorption during the laser–solid interactions has received significant attention over the last two decades since it is related to a variety of applications of high intensity lasers,including the hot electron production for fast ignition of fusion targets, table-top bright X-ray and gamma-ray sources,ion acceleration, compact neutron sources, and generally the creation of high energy density matters. Normally, some absorption mechanisms found for nanosecond long laser pulses also appear for ultrashort laser pulses. The peculiar aspects with ultrashort laser pulses are that their absorption depends significantly on the preplasma condition and the initial target structures. Meanwhile, relativistic nonlinearity and ponderomotive force associated with the laser pulses lead to new mechanisms or phenomena, which are usually not found with nanosecond long pulses. In this paper, we present an overview of the recent progress on the major absorption mechanisms in intense laser–solid interactions, where emphasis is paid to our related theory and simulation studies.展开更多
We explore degeneracies in strong lensing model so to make time delay data consistent with the WMAP （Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe） cosmology. Previous models using a singular isothermal lens often yield a ti...We explore degeneracies in strong lensing model so to make time delay data consistent with the WMAP （Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe） cosmology. Previous models using a singular isothermal lens often yield a time delay between the observed multiple images too small than the observed value if we ＂hardwire＂ the now widely quoted post-WMAP ＂high＂ value of the Hubble constant （Ho ～71 ± 4km s^-1 Mpc^-1）. Alternatively, the lens density profile （star plus dark matter） is required to be locally steeper than r-2 （isothermal） profile near the Einstein radius （of the order 3 kpc） to fit the time delays; a naive extrapolation of a very steep profile to large radius would imply a lens halo with a scale length of the order only 3 kpc, too compact to be consistent with CDM. We explore more sophisticated, mathematically smooth, positive lens mass density profiles which are consistent with a large halo and the post-WMAP H0. Thanks to the spherical monopole degeneracy, the ＂reshuffling＂ of the mass in a lens model does not affect the quality of the fit to the image positions, amplifications, and image time delays. Even better, unlike the better-known mass sheet degeneracy, the stellar mass-to-light and the H0 value are not affected either. We apply this monopole degeneracy to the quadruple imaged time-delay system PG 1115＋080. Finally we discuss the implications of the time delay data on the newly proposed relativistic MOND theory.展开更多
Talc is a layered hydrous silicate mineral that plays a vital role in transporting water into Earth’s interior and is crucial for explaining geophysical observations in subduction zone settings.In this study,we explo...Talc is a layered hydrous silicate mineral that plays a vital role in transporting water into Earth’s interior and is crucial for explaining geophysical observations in subduction zone settings.In this study,we explored the structure,equation of state,and elasticity of both triclinic and monoclinic talc under high pressures up to 18 GPa using first principles simulations based on density functional theory corrected for dispersive forces.Our results indicate that principal components of the full elastic constant tensor C_(11) and C_(22),shear components C_(66),and several off-diagonal components show anomalous pressure dependence.This non-monotonic pressure dependence of elastic constant components is likely related to the structural changes and is often manifested in a polytypic transition from a low-pressure polytype talc-I to a high-pressure polytype talc-Ⅱ.The polytypic transition of talc occurs at pressures within its thermodynamic stability.However,the bulk and shear elastic moduli show no anomalous softening.Our study also shows that talc has low velocity,extremely high anisotropy,and anomalously high V_(P)/V_(S) ratio,thus making it a potential candidate mineral phase that could readily explain unusually high V_(P)/V_(S) ratio and large shear wave splitting delays as observed from seismological studies in many subduction systems.展开更多
基金supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant No.FA9550-17-1-0264supported by the DOE,Office of Science,Fusion Energy Sciences under Contract No.DE-SC0021125+2 种基金supported by the U.S.Department of Energy Grant No.DESC0011617.D.A.Jarozynski,E.Brunetti,B.Ersfeld,and S.Yoffe would like to acknowledge support from the U.K.EPSRC(Grant Nos.EP/J018171/1 and EP/N028694/1)the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement No.871124 Laserlab-Europe and EuPRAXIA(Grant No.653782)funded by the N8 research partnership and EPSRC(Grant No.EP/T022167/1).
文摘An intense laser pulse focused onto a plasma can excite nonlinear plasma waves.Under appropriate conditions,electrons from the background plasma are trapped in the plasma wave and accelerated to ultra-relativistic velocities.This scheme is called a laser wakefield accelerator.In this work,we present results from a laser wakefield acceleration experiment using a petawatt-class laser to excite the wakefields as well as nanoparticles to assist the injection of electrons into the accelerating phase of the wakefields.We find that a 10-cm-long,nanoparticle-assisted laser wakefield accelerator can generate 340 pC,10±1.86 GeV electron bunches with a 3.4 GeV rms convolved energy spread and a 0.9 mrad rms divergence.It can also produce bunches with lower energies in the 4–6 GeV range.
基金supported by the European Research Council(ERC)under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program(Grant Agreement No.787539)funding from EPRSC(Grant Nos.EP/E035728,EP/C003586,and EP/P010059/1)supported by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC)and Compute Canada(Job:pve-323-ac,PA).
文摘Realizing the full potential of ultrahigh-intensity lasers for particle and radiation generation will require multi-beam arrangements due to technology limitations.Here,we investigate how to optimize their coupling with solid targets.Experimentally,we show that overlapping two intense lasers in a mirror-like configuration onto a solid with a large preplasma can greatly improve the generation of hot electrons at the target front and ion acceleration at the target backside.The underlying mechanisms are analyzed through multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations,revealing that the self-induced magnetic fields driven by the two laser beams at the target front are susceptible to reconnection,which is one possible mechanism to boost electron energization.In addition,the resistive magnetic field generated during the transport of the hot electrons in the target bulk tends to improve their collimation.Our simulations also indicate that such effects can be further enhanced by overlapping more than two laser beams.
基金supported by a SUPA Advanced Fellowship (Hamish Reid)the European Research Council under the SeismoSun Research Project No. 321141 (Heather Ratcliffe)the Marie Curie PIRSESGA- 2011-295272 RadioSun project
文摘Solar type III radio bursts are an important diagnostic tool in the understanding of solar accelerated electron beams. They are a signature of propagating beams of nonthermal electrons in the solar atmosphere and the solar system. Consequently, they provide information on electron acceleration and transport, and the conditions of the background ambient plasma they travel through. We review the observational properties of type III bursts with an emphasis on recent results and how each property can help identify attributes of electron beams and the ambient background plasma. We also review some of the theoretical aspects of type III radio bursts and cover a number of numerical efforts that simulate electron beam transport through the solar corona and the heliosphere.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.U1804121 and 11304167)
文摘Cluster science as a bridge linking atomic molecular physics and condensed matter inspired the nanomaterials development in the past decades, ranging from the single-atom catalysis to ligand-protected noble metal clusters. The corresponding studies not only have been restricted to the search for the geometrical structures of clusters, but also have promoted the development of cluster-assembled materials as the building blocks. The CALYPSO cluster prediction method combined with other computational techniques have significantly stimulated the development of the cluster-based nanomaterials. In this review, we will summarize some good cases of cluster structure by CALYPSO method, which have also been successfully identified by the photoelectron spectra experiments. Beginning with the alkali-metal clusters, which serve as benchmarks, a series of studies are performed on the size-dependent elemental clusters which possess relatively high stability and interesting chemical physical properties. Special attentions are paid to the boron-based clusters because of their promising applications. The NbSi12 and BeB16 clusters, for example, are two classic representatives of the silicon-and boron-based clusters, which can be viewed as building blocks of nanotubes and borophene. This review offers a detailed description of the structural evolutions and electronic properties of medium-sized pure and doped clusters, which will advance fundamental knowledge of cluster-based nanomaterials and provide valuable information for further theoretical and experimental studies.
基金This work was supported in part by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CBA01504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11675108,11421064,11405108 and 11374210).
文摘In contrast to ion beams produced by conventional accelerators,ion beams accelerated by ultrashort intense laser pulses have advantages of ultrashort bunch duration and ultrahigh density,which are achieved in compact size.However,it is still challenging to simultaneously enhance their quality and yield for practical applications such as fast ion ignition of inertial confinement fusion.Compared with other mechanisms of laser-driven ion acceleration,the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration has a special advantage in generating high-fluence ion beams suitable for the creation of high energy density state of matters.In this paper,we present a review on some theoretical and numerical studies of the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration.First we discuss the typical field structure associated with this mechanism,its intrinsic feature of oscillations,and the underling physics.Then we will review some recently proposed schemes to enhance the beam quality and the efficiency in the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration,such as matching laser intensity profile with target density profile,and using two-ion-species targets.Based on this,we propose an integrated scheme for efficient high-quality hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration,in which the longitudinal density profile of a composite target as well as the laser transverse intensity profile are tailored according to the matching condition.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant Nos 2013CBA01504the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11475260,11374209 and 11375265
文摘We study a laser wakefield acceleration driven by mid-infrared （mid-IR） laser pulses through two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Since a mid-IR laser pulse can deliver a larger ponderomotive force as compared with the usual 0.8 μm wavelength laser pulse, it is found that electron self-injection into the wake wave occurs at an earlier time, the plasma density threshold for injection becomes lower, and the electron beam charge is substantially enhanced. Meanwhile, our study also shows that quasimonoenergetic electron beams with a narrow energy-spread can be generated by using mid-IR laser pulses. Such a mid-IR laser pulse can provide a feasible method for obtaining a high quality and high charge electron beam. Therefore, the current efforts on constructing mid-IR terawatt laser systems can greatly benefit the laser wakefield acceleration research.
基金This work was supported financially by EPSRC(Grant Nos.EP/R006202/1 and EP/V049232/1)and STFC(Grant No.ST/V001612/1)It involved the use of the ARCHIE-WeSt and ARCHER2 high-performance computers,with access to the latter provided via the Plasma Physics HEC Consortia(Grant No.EP/R029148/1)+2 种基金the University of Cambridge Research Computing Service(funded by Grant No.EP/P020259/1)EPOCH was developed under EPSRC Grant No.EP/G054940/1The research has also received funding from Laserlab-Europe(Grant Agreement No.871124,European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program).
文摘Because of their ability to sustain extremely high-amplitude electromagnetic fields and transient density and field profiles,plasma optical components are being developed to amplify,compress,and condition high-power laser pulses.We recently demonstrated the potential to use a relativistic plasma aperture—produced during the interaction of a high-power laser pulse with an ultrathin foil target—to tailor the spatiotemporal properties of the intense fundamental and second-harmonic light generated[Duff et al.,Sci.Rep.10,105(2020)].Herein,we explore numerically the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a preformed aperture target to generate second-harmonic laser light with higher-order spatial modes.The maximum generation efficiency is found for an aperture diameter close to the full width at half maximum of the laser focus and for a micrometer-scale target thickness.The spatial mode generated is shown to depend strongly on the polarization of the drive laser pulse,which enables changing between a linearly polarized TEM01 mode and a circularly polarized Laguerre–Gaussian LG01 mode.This demonstrates the use of a plasma aperture to generate intense higher-frequency light with selectable spatial mode structure.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11991074,11775144,and 11975154)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA25050100)+2 种基金a Grant from the Office of Science and Technology,Shanghai Municipal Government(Grant No.18JC1410700)the Science Challenge Project(Grant No.TZ2018005)The development of the EPOCH code is supported in part by the UK EPSRC(Grant No.EP/G056803/1).
文摘Ultra-intense short-pulse light sources are powerful tools for a wide range of applications.However,relativistic short-pulse lasers are normally generated in the near-infrared regime.Here,we present a promising and efficient way to generate tunable relativistic ultrashort pulses with wavelengths above 20μm in a density-tailored plasma.In this approach,in the first stage,an intense drive laser first excites a nonlinear wake in an underdense plasma,and its photon frequency is then downshifted via phase modulation as it propagates in the plasma wake.Subsequently,in the second stage,the drive pulse enters a lower-density plasma region so that the wake has a larger plasma cavity in which longer-wavelength infrared pulses can be produced.Numerical simulations show that the resulting near-single-cycle pulses cover a broad spectral range of 10–40μm with a conversion efficiency of∼2.1%(∼34 mJ pulse energy).This enables the investigation of nonlinear infrared optics in the relativistic regime and offers new possibilities for the investigation of ultrafast phenomena and physics in strong fields.
基金This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11421064,11374209,11405107 and 11374210).
文摘Stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)excited by incoherent light is studied via particle-in-cell simulations.It is shown that a large bandwidth of incoherent light can reduce the growth of SRS and electron heating considerably in the linear stage.However,different components of the incoherent light can be coupled by the Langmuir waves,so that stimulated Raman backward scattering can develop.When the bandwidth of incoherent light is larger than the Langmuir wave frequency,forward SRS can be seeded between different components of the incoherent light.The incoherent light can only increase the time duration for nonlinear saturation but cannot diminish the saturation level obviously.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA25050100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11975154,11675108,11655002,and 11775144)+3 种基金the Science Challenge Project(Grant No.TZ2018005)the China Scholarship Council,the China and Germany Postdoctoral Exchange Program from the Office of China Postdoctoral Council and the Helmholtz Centre(Grant No.20191016)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2018M641993)funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No.633053.
文摘Sunlight-like lasers that have a continuous broad frequency spectrum,random phase spectrum,and random polarization are formulated theoretically.With a sunlight-like laser beam consisting of a sequence of temporal speckles,the resonant three-wave coupling that underlies parametric instabilities in laser–plasma interactions can be greatly degraded owing to the limited duration of each speckle and the frequency shift between two adjacent speckles.The wave coupling can be further weakened by the random polarization of such beams.Numerical simulations demonstrate that the intensity threshold of stimulated Raman scattering in homogeneous plasmas can be doubled by using a sunlight-like laser beam with a relative bandwidth of∼1%as compared with a monochromatic laser beam.Consequently,the hot-electron generation harmful to inertial confinement fusion can be effectively controlled by using sunlight-like laser drivers.Such drivers may be realized in the next generation of broadband lasers by combining two or more broadband beams with independent phase spectra or by applying polarization smoothing to a single broadband beam.
基金A Research Fellowship for International Young Scientists by the National Natural Science Foundation (NNSF) on “In-silico studies of planetary materials” Computing resources provided by the UK national high performance computing service, ARCHER, and the UK Materials and Molecular Modelling Hub, which is partially funded by EPSRC (EP/P020194)for which access was obtained via the UKCP consortium funded by EPSRC grant No. EP/P022561/1
文摘Many properties of planets such as their interior structure and thermal evolution depend on the high-pressure properties of their constituent materials. This paper reviews how crystal structure prediction methodology can help shed light on the transformations materials undergo at the extreme conditions inside planets. The discussion focuses on three areas:(i) the propensity of iron to form compounds with volatile elements at planetary core conditions(important to understand the chemical makeup of Earth's inner core),(ii) the chemistry of mixtures of planetary ices(relevant for the mantle regions of giant icy planets), and(iii) examples of mantle minerals. In all cases the abilities and current limitations of crystal structure prediction are discussed across a range of example studies.
基金The study was supported financially by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research(Grant No.20-02-00790)the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences(Topic Grant No.01201357846)The UK team received financial support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(Grant Nos.EP/L01663X/1 and EP/H012605/1).
文摘X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a well-accepted diagnostic for experimental studies of warm dense matter.It requires a short-lived X-ray source of sufficiently high emissivity and without characteristic lines in the spectral range of interest.In the present work,we discuss how to choose an optimum material and thickness to get a bright source in the wavelength range 2A–6A(∼2 keV to 6 keV)by considering relatively low-Z elements.We demonstrate that the highest emissivity of solid aluminum and silicon foil targets irradiated with a 1-ps high-contrast sub-kJ laser pulse is achieved when the target thickness is close to 10μm.An outer plastic layer can increase the emissivity even further.
文摘At sufficiently large Reynolds numbers,turbulence is expected to exhibit scale-invariance in an intermediate("inertial")range of wavenumbers,as shown by power law behavior of the energy spectrum and also by a constant rate of energy transfer through wavenumber.However,there is an apparent contradiction between the definition of the energy flux(i.e.,the integral of the transfer spectrum)and the observed behavior of the transfer spectrum itself.This is because the transfer spectrum T(k)is invariably found to have a zero-crossing at a single point(at k=k*),implying that the corresponding energy flux cannot have an extended plateau but must instead have a maximum value at k=k*.This behavior was formulated as a paradox and resolved by the introduction of filtered/partitioned transfer spectra,which exploited the symmetries of the triadic interactions(J.Phys.A:Math.Theor.,2008).In this paper we consider the more general implications of that procedure for the spectral energy balance equation,also known as the Lin equation.It is argued that the resulting modified Lin equations(and their corresponding Navier–Stokes equations)offer a new starting point for both numerical and theoretical methods,which may lead to a better understanding of the underlying energy transfer processes in turbulence.In particular the filtered partitioned transfer spectra could provide a basis for a hybrid approach to the statistical closure problem,with the different spectra being tackled using different methods.
基金sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.11505044,11405042 and 11421064the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province under Grant No.A2016201066+1 种基金the Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Hebei province under Grant No.BJ2016006the Midwest Universities Comprehensive Strength Promotion Project
文摘The plasma behavior of filamentary barrier discharges in helium is simulated using a twodimensional（2D） particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo model. Four different phases have been suggested in terms of the development of the discharge： the Townsend phase; the space-charge dominated phase; the formation of the cathode layer, and the extinguishing phase. The spatialtemporal evolution of the particle densities, velocities of the charged particles, electric fields, and surface charges has been demonstrated. Our simulation provides insights into the underlying mechanism of the discharge and explains many dynamical behaviors of dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） filaments.
基金by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 10905092(Young Scientists Fund),10925421,10974250,and 10935002the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2007CB815102the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
文摘A real-time ion spectrometer mainly based on a high-resolution Thomson parabola and a plastic scintillator is designed and developed.The spectrometer is calibrated by protons from an electrostatic accelerator.The feasibility and reliability of the diagnostics are demonstrated in laser-driven ion acceleration experiments performed on the XL-II laser facility.The proton spectrum extrapolated from the scintillator data is in excellent agreement with the CR39 spectrum in terms of beam temperature and the cutoff energy.This real-time spectrometer allows an online measurement of the ion spectra in single shot,which enables efficient and statistical studies and applications in high-repetition-rate laser acceleration experiments.
基金Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research(Contract No.2019B030302001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11703098)+3 种基金support by the Strategic Pioneer Program on Space Science,Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant Nos.XDA15052100,XDA15310300)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant No.XDB23040100)supported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council(Grant No.ST/L000946/1)funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council UK grant no.ST/R002770/1。
文摘The multi-messenger observation of coalescing compact binary systems promises great scientific treasure.However,synthesising observations from both gravitational wave and electromagnetic channels remains challenging.In the context of the day-to-week long emission from a macronova,the binary neutron star merger GW170817 remains the only event with successful electromagnetic followup.In this manuscript,we explore the possibility of using the early stage X-ray afterglow to search for the electromagnetic counterpart of a gravitational wave event.Two algorithms,the simple and straightforward sequential observation(SO)and the step-wise optimizing local optimization are considered and applied to some simulated events.We consider the WXT from the proposed Einstein Probe as a candidate X-ray telescope,which has a very wide field of view of 3600 deg^(2).Benefiting from the large field of view and high sensitivity,we find that the SO algorithm not only is easy to implement,but also promises a good chance of actual detection.
基金The results of Project LQ1606 were obtained with the financial support of the Ministry of Education,Youths and Sports as part of targeted support from the National Programme of Sustainability II.This research was also sponsored by the Czech Science Foundation(Project No.18-09560S)by the project High Field Initiative(CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449)from the European Regional Development Fund(HIFI),by the project on Advanced Research Using High Intensity Laser Produced Photons and Particles(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16019/0000789)from the European Regional Development Fund(ADONIS)+1 种基金by theMinistry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation under Contract No.14.Z50.31.0007.The work was also supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation(FTP Grant#14.607.21.0196,Project ID:RFMEFI60717X0196)The work of JIHT RAS team on X-ray measurements and analysis was done with financial support fromthe Russian Science Foundation(Grant#14-50-00124).
文摘The design of ellipsoidal plasma mirrors(EPMs)for the PEARL laser facility is presented.The EPMs achieve a magnification of 0.32 in focal spot size,and the corresponding increase in focused intensity is expected to be about 8.Designing and implementing such focusing optics for short-pulse(<100 fs)systems paves the way for their use in future high-power facilities,where they can be used to achieve intensities beyond 1023W/cm^(2).A retro-imaging-based target alignment system is also described,which is used to align solid targets at the output of the ellispoidal mirrors(with a numerical aperture of 0.75 in this case).
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2013CBA01504)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11421064,11129503,11374209,and 11374210)
文摘With the advent of ultrashort high intensity laser pulses, laser absorption during the laser–solid interactions has received significant attention over the last two decades since it is related to a variety of applications of high intensity lasers,including the hot electron production for fast ignition of fusion targets, table-top bright X-ray and gamma-ray sources,ion acceleration, compact neutron sources, and generally the creation of high energy density matters. Normally, some absorption mechanisms found for nanosecond long laser pulses also appear for ultrashort laser pulses. The peculiar aspects with ultrashort laser pulses are that their absorption depends significantly on the preplasma condition and the initial target structures. Meanwhile, relativistic nonlinearity and ponderomotive force associated with the laser pulses lead to new mechanisms or phenomena, which are usually not found with nanosecond long pulses. In this paper, we present an overview of the recent progress on the major absorption mechanisms in intense laser–solid interactions, where emphasis is paid to our related theory and simulation studies.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
文摘We explore degeneracies in strong lensing model so to make time delay data consistent with the WMAP （Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe） cosmology. Previous models using a singular isothermal lens often yield a time delay between the observed multiple images too small than the observed value if we ＂hardwire＂ the now widely quoted post-WMAP ＂high＂ value of the Hubble constant （Ho ～71 ± 4km s^-1 Mpc^-1）. Alternatively, the lens density profile （star plus dark matter） is required to be locally steeper than r-2 （isothermal） profile near the Einstein radius （of the order 3 kpc） to fit the time delays; a naive extrapolation of a very steep profile to large radius would imply a lens halo with a scale length of the order only 3 kpc, too compact to be consistent with CDM. We explore more sophisticated, mathematically smooth, positive lens mass density profiles which are consistent with a large halo and the post-WMAP H0. Thanks to the spherical monopole degeneracy, the ＂reshuffling＂ of the mass in a lens model does not affect the quality of the fit to the image positions, amplifications, and image time delays. Even better, unlike the better-known mass sheet degeneracy, the stellar mass-to-light and the H0 value are not affected either. We apply this monopole degeneracy to the quadruple imaged time-delay system PG 1115＋080. Finally we discuss the implications of the time delay data on the newly proposed relativistic MOND theory.
基金supported by the US National Science Foundation grant EAR 1763215 and EAR 1753125XSEDE facilities(GEO170003)+4 种基金the High-Performance Computing,Research Computing Center,Florida State Universitythe UK’s National Supercomputer Service through the UK CarParrinello Consortium(EPSRC Grant No.EP/P022561/1)and project ID d56"Planetary Interiors"funding from the INSU-CNRSthe French Government Laboratory of Excellence initiative n°ANR-10-LABX-0006,the Région Auvergnethe European Regional Development Fund(Cler Volc contribution number 530).
文摘Talc is a layered hydrous silicate mineral that plays a vital role in transporting water into Earth’s interior and is crucial for explaining geophysical observations in subduction zone settings.In this study,we explored the structure,equation of state,and elasticity of both triclinic and monoclinic talc under high pressures up to 18 GPa using first principles simulations based on density functional theory corrected for dispersive forces.Our results indicate that principal components of the full elastic constant tensor C_(11) and C_(22),shear components C_(66),and several off-diagonal components show anomalous pressure dependence.This non-monotonic pressure dependence of elastic constant components is likely related to the structural changes and is often manifested in a polytypic transition from a low-pressure polytype talc-I to a high-pressure polytype talc-Ⅱ.The polytypic transition of talc occurs at pressures within its thermodynamic stability.However,the bulk and shear elastic moduli show no anomalous softening.Our study also shows that talc has low velocity,extremely high anisotropy,and anomalously high V_(P)/V_(S) ratio,thus making it a potential candidate mineral phase that could readily explain unusually high V_(P)/V_(S) ratio and large shear wave splitting delays as observed from seismological studies in many subduction systems.
