PIC-Simulation of Ion-Acceleration with Laser Irradiated Mass Limited Targets

Detailed 3D simiulation study of relativistic short laser pulses (10< a0 <120, 20-150 fs FWHM) interacting with isolated targets of micrometer size. We investigate the emission of fast protons from targets representing hydrogen gas clusters or plastic material. We scan different densities from undercritical so solid density conditions, searching for optimal conversion of laser energy to fast ions, considering the difference between mono-species and two-species plasmas as well as linear and circular polarisation.