Simulations of proton beam characteristics for ELIMED Beamline. (March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Psikal, Jan; Limpouch, Jiri; Klimo, Ondrej; Vyskocil, Jiri; Margarone, Daniele; Korn, Georg
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 688(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-03
• Subjects: Physics -- Congresses; 530.5
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/688/1/012088
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-6588

Abstract

Abstract: ELIMED Beamline should demonstrate the capability of laser-based particle accelerators for medical applications, mainly for proton radiotherapy of tumours which requires a sufficient number of accelerated protons with energy about 60 MeV at least. In this contribution, we study the acceleration of protons by laser pulse with parameters accessible for ELIMED Beamline (intensity ∼ 10 22 W/cm 2, pulse length ∼ 30 fs). In our two-dimensional particle-incell simulations, we observed higher energies of protons for linear than for circular polarization. Oblique incidence of the laser pulse on target does not seem to be favourable for proton acceleration at such high intensities as the accelerated protons are deflected from target normal axis and their energy and numbers are slightly decreased. The expected numbers of accelerated protons in the energy interval 60 MeV ± 5% are calculated between 10 9 and 10 10 per laser shot with estimated proton beam divergence about 20° (FWHM).