Vacuum heating of electrons and ion acceleration in ultrashort laser pulse interaction with plasma

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Plasma Physics Reports

OSTI ID:98818

Bulanov, S V; Naumova, N M ^[1]; Pegoraro, F ^[2]

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1. Institute of General Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation)
2. Torino Univ. (Italy)

The results of analytical treatment and computer simulation of the interaction between the relativistically strong electromagnetic field of an ultrashort laser pulse and a highly inhomogeneous overdense plasma are presented. {open_quotes}Vacuum heating of electrons,{close_quotes} i.e., formation of a cloud of fast electrons that is expanding into vacuum is the primary mechanism responsible for electromagnetic energy absorption under the oblique incidence of an electromagnetic wave upon dense plasma with a sharp boundary. It is shown that, in the electron cloud expanding into vacuum, ions are accelerated up to the energies corresponding to the equality of ion and fast electron velocities. 30 refs., 6 figs.

• OSTI ID: 98818
• Journal Information: Plasma Physics Reports, Journal Name: Plasma Physics Reports Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 20; ISSN PPHREM; ISSN 1063-780X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ACCELERATION
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
ELECTRONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
INHOMOGENEOUS PLASMA
ION BEAMS
LASER-RADIATION HEATING