X.Q. Yan, H.C.Wu, Z.M. Sheng, J.E. Chen, J.Meyer-ter-Vehn

We report on a self-organizing, quasi-stable regime of laser proton acceleration, producing 1 GeV nano-Coulomb proton bunches from laser foil interaction at an intensity of 7*10^21 W/cm2. The results are obtained from 2D PIC simulations, using circular polarized light normally incident on a planar, 500 nm thick hydrogen foil with Gaussian transverse profile. While foil plasma driven in the wings of the driving pulse is dispersed, a stable central clump with 1 - 2 lamda diameter is forming on the axis. The stabilisation is related to laser light having passed the transparent parts of the foil in the wing region and encompassing the still opaque central clump. This feature is observed consistently in 2D and 3D simulations. It depends on a laser pulse shape with high contrast ratio.