Enhanced Target Normal Sheath Acceleration via Interfering Laser Pulses*

Target Normal Sheath Acceleration is a well-studied mechanism for generating energetic electrons and protons from the interaction of an ultra-intense laser with a thin target. Most experiments typically involve using just one laser beam (due to difficulties overlapping in space/time) despite indications from simulations that two or more interfering beams can enhance electron and ion energies. In this talk, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations are used to demonstrate this enhancement on a gold foil target being irradiated by two ultra-intense laser pulses. In addition, I show preliminary results from experiment at the Jupiter Laser Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.