Accelerated Ions from a Laser Driven Z-pinch

Intense laser acceleration of ions is inherently difficult due to the velocity mismatch between laser pulses moving at the speed of light and slowly moving massive ions. Instead of directly accelerating the ions, current approaches rely on TV/m laser fields to ionize and drive out electrons. The ions are then accelerated by the resulting electrostatic fields from charge separation. Here we report experimental and numerical acceleration of ions by means of laser driven Z-pinch exiting a sharp plasma interface. This is achieved by first driving a plasma wakefield in the self-modulated bubble regime. Cold return currents are generated to maintain quasi-neutrality of the plasma. The opposite current repel and form an axial fast current and a cylindrical-shell cold return current with a large (100 MG) azithmuthal field in between. These conditions produce a Z-pinch that compresses the fast electrons and ions on axis. If this process is terminated at a sharp plasma interface, a beam of ions are then accelerated in the forward direction as the Z-pinch collapses. These results provide a new route towards laser-accelerated ions as well as potential laboratory scale modeling of z-pinches in astrophysical events.