High-current laser ion source for induction accelerators

We have developed a high-current laser ion source for heavy ion fusion research based on induction accelerators. A frequency-doubled Nd:YAC laser irradiated a copper target with an intensity of 10(8)-10(9)' W/cm(2), producing plasmas composed of Cu+ and Cu2+ ions dominantly. The laser plasma supplied a large number of ions (similar to 10(14) ions/pulse) during several microseconds, which meets the requirement of heavy ion fusion. An inductive acceleration module extracted high-current ion beams over 0.1 A/cm(2) from a plasma-filled gap. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.