École Nationale Supérieure de
Techniques Avancées

Abstract

This PhD dissertation is an experimental and theoretical study of particle generation by relativistic laser plasma interactions. In the first part of this manuscript, different mechanisms for neutron, electron as well as proton generation are presented and discussed for underdense and overdense plasmas. The second part is devoted to neutron generation by D(d,n)3He reactions as a diagnostic for the plasma ion temperature. The generation of an electron beam generated in the newly described "forced laser wakefield" regime is the issue for the third part. It is shown experimentally as well as theoretically that the utilization of a compact laser can result in an energetic and high quality electron beam. The last part shows that the same laser system can be implemented to generate a proton beam and that different acceleration mechanisms can yield in a proton beam. For any of the described particles several applications for accelerator physics, medical physics and the generation of secondary X rays will be discussed.