Geometric scaling of laser-driven proton focusing from hemispherical foils

Physical Review Research 2026 Open access

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Authors: Jesse Griff-McMahon, X. Vaisseau, W. Fox, K. V. Lezhnin, Krish Bhutwala, R. Nedbailo, V. Ospina-Bohórquez, Timo Karpowski, P. K. Patel, S. Malko
DOI: 10.1103/3cs1-8r6s
Cited by: 2
References: 24

Abstract

We systematically characterize the focusing behavior of laser-driven proton beams from hemispherical targets of various diameters using mesh radiography. The proton focal location is inferred to be near the geometrical center for the smallest tested hemisphere ( Ψ = D hemi / D Laser = 6.1 ). However, larger hemispheres ( Ψ = 14.6 ) degrade the focusing behavior and behave more like flat foils with focal location significantly inside the hemisphere. We also infer a tight virtual focus of 9 ± 3 μ m through a mesh transition analysis.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics Space Technology and Applications Radiation Therapy and Dosimetry

Publication details

Journal / source
Physical Review Research
Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Volume
8
Issue
1
Publication date
21 January 2026
Language
EN