Instabilities in interaction of circularly polarized laser pulse and overdense target

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3603821· OSTI ID:22046894

Xiaomei, Zhang; Baifei, Shen; Liangliang, Ji; Wenpeng, Wang; Jiancai, Xu; Yahong, Yu; Xiaofeng, Wang ^[1]

---

1. State Key Laboratory of High Field Laser Physics, Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Instabilities in the interaction of a normal intensity circularly polarized pulse and an overdense foil are investigated with two and three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Two typical instabilities were shown during the interaction. One is the Weibel-like instability induced by the current far above the Alfven limit, and the other is the boundary instability with ring structures spreading to the center from the boundary which is induced by the transverse boundaries of the target or the laser pulse. These instabilities are important to the proton acceleration by using moderate laser pulses at intensities accessible experimentally with existing laser systems.

• OSTI ID: 22046894
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 18, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ACCELERATION
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
LASER RADIATION
LASER TARGETS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA SIMULATION
POLARIZATION
PROTONS
PULSES
SOLID-STATE PLASMA
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS