• A. Sagisaka, P.R. Bolton, S.V. Bulanov, H. Daido, T. Esirkepov, T. Hori, S. Kanazawa, H. Kiriyama, K. Kondo, S. Kondo, M. Mori, Y. Nakai, M. Nishiuchi, K. Ogura, H. Okada, S. Orimo, A.S. Pirozhkov, H. Sakaki, F. Sasao, H. Sasao, T. Shimomura, A. Sugiyama, H. Sugiyama, M. Tampo, M. Tanoue, D. Wakai, A. Yogo
  JAEA, Kyoto
• I.W. Choi, J. Lee
  APRI-GIST, Gwangju
• H. Nagatomo
  ILE Osaka, Suita
• K. Nemoto, Y. Oishi
  Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa

High-intensity laser and thin-foil interactions produce high-energy particles, hard x-ray, high-order harmonics, and terahertz radiation. A proton beam driven by a high-intensity laser has received attention as a compact ion source for medical applications. We have performed the high intensity laser-matter interaction experiments using a thin-foil target irradiated by Ti:sapphire laser (J-KAREN) at JAEA. In this laser system, the pulse duration is 40 fs (FWHM). The laser beam is focused by an off-axis parabolic mirror at the target. The estimated peak intensity is ~5x10¹⁹ W/cm². We have developed on-line real time monitors such as a time-of-flight proton spectrometer which is placed behind the target and interferometer for electron density profile measurement of preformed plasma. We observed the maximum proton energy of ~7 MeV.

• M. Nishiuchi, P.R. Bolton, T. Hori, K. Kondo, A.S. Pirozhkov, A. Sagisaka, H. Sakaki, A. Yogo
  JAEA, Ibaraki-ken
• Y. Iseki, T. Yoshiyuki
  Toshiba, Tokyo
• S. Kanazawa, H. Kiriyama, M. Mori, K. Ogura, S. Orimo
  JAEA/Kansai, Kyoto
• A. Noda, H. Souda, H. Tongu
  Kyoto ICR, Uji, Kyoto
• T. Shirai
  NIRS, Chiba-shi

The interaction between the high intensity laser and the solid target produces a strong electrostatic proton acceleration field (1 TV/m) with extraordinary small size, contributing to downsizing of the particle accelerator. The proton beam exhibits significant features. having very small source size(~10 um), short pulse duration (~ps) and very low transverse emittance. However it is a diverging beam (half angle of ~10 deg) with wide energy spread of ~100 %. Because of these peculiar characteristics the proton beam attracts many fields for applications including medical applications. To preserve these peculiar characteristics, which are not possessed by those beams from the conventional accelerators, towards the irradiation points, we need to establish a peculiar beam transport line. As the first step, here we report the demonstration of the proto-type laser-driven proton medical accelerator beam line in which we combine the laser-driven proton source with the beam transport technique already established in the conventional accelerator for the purpose of comparison between the data and the particle transport simulation code, PARMILA*.

*Harunori Takeda, 2005, Parmila LANL (LA-UR-98-4478).