Multi-MeV laser-produced particle sources: Characterization by activation techniques
Résumé
We present here results obtained in an experiment carried out using the CPA beam of the "Salle Jaune" laser system at Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée (LOA). The generation of high energy electrons and protons escaping from the plasma has been investigated in the interaction of a 2 J, 30 fs laser with CH or metallic foils. The energy and angular distributions of the supra-thermal electrons produced with different targets are characterized by using both an electron spectrometer and bremsstrahlung induced ($\gamma $,n) reactions. We measured simultaneously the number of energetic protons produced using (p,n) reactions. A correlation between the electrons and the protons production is observed together with a dependence of the number of supra-thermal electrons on the atomic number of the target element.