Ion acceleration by a strong laser-driven quasi-static electric field

A theoretical model of the quasi-static electric field that is formed at the sharp boundary between a solid target and vacuum, due to the appearance of a cloud of laser-produced hot electrons, has been developed. It allows one to describe the maximum energies and the energy spectra of the ions accelerated in the field, it and makes possible the comparison with experimental data and the previsions of regimes achievable in the future.