Proton Radiography with Isotrajectory Optics

Abstract

We consider a compact isotrajectory-optics scheme for proton radiography. The calculation uses a 30-60 MeV proton interval as a reference example, typical of high-energy short-pulse laser acceleration in the TNSA regime. The idea is to use synchronized time-dependent fields such that, for one selected energy-arrival-time branch, the proton energy changes mainly the arrival time and not the transverse image position. The reference lattice consists of four pulsed electric quadrupoles with horizontal sign pattern + - + -, magnification Mx = My = -3.0 at a detector plane of 2.57 m, a common Fourier plane at zF = 0.962 m, and equal outer and equal inner lens lengths. The ideal closure residual is calculated from second central moments. Fourth central moments are kept separately as a diagnostic of non-Gaussian tails. The quoted residual widths are numerical closure tests of the ideal map, not experimental resolution predictions. Real electrode fields, waveform errors, scattering, detector blur, and space charge define the next level of the problem.