Dispersion and Transport of Energetic Particles due to the Interaction of Intense Laser Pulses with Overdense Plasmas
- Centre de physique Theorique, UMR7644, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau (France)
We study the angular distribution of relativistic electrons generated through laser-plasma interaction with pulse intensity varying from 10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2} up to 10{sup 21} W/cm{sup 2} and plasma density ranging from 10 times up to 160 times critical density with the help of 2D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations. This study gives clear evidence that the divergence of the beam is an intrinsic property of the interaction of a laser pulse with a sharp density gradient. It is entirely due to the excitation of large static magnetic fields in the layer of interaction. The energy deposited in this layer increases drastically the temperature of the plasma independently of the initial temperature. This makes the plasma locally collisionless and the simulation relevant for the current experiments.
- OSTI ID:
- 20861154
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 20; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.205006; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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