New targets greatly improve the performance of laser-driven particle acceleration

Successful cooperation between the Materials Research and Plasma Physics departments

The use of nanostructured targets enables the PHELIX laser to accelerate considerably more particles to substantially higher energies. The experiment with the high-performance laser was conducted at the GSI/FAIR campus by scientists from GSI and FAIR as well as from Goethe University Frankfurt and the Helmholtz Institute Jena. The innovative nano target was created at GSI’s Materials Research department. The results give laser-driven particle acceleration a boost, and also harbor considerable potential for future plasma research at the FAIR accelerator facility.

more see www.gsi.de/en