Multiparametric PIC simulations of electron vortices in relativistic laser plasmas

This work is dedicated to the multiparametric numerical simulations of the dynamics of electron vortices - one of the coherent structures that can form due to the interaction of high-intensity laser pulses with plasmas. Using a two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell simulations it is demonstrated that the postsoliton stage of the evolution of the electron vortex is described well by the ”snow plow” model. The dependence between the parameters of the vortex and the characteristic time of the vortex boundary disintegration is absorbed

Evolution of relativistic electron vortices in laser plasmas

Electron vortices appear in the wake of a finite length laser pulse propogating in the underdense plasma. Usually they form two chains of vortices with opposite signs of the magnetic fields locked inside an electron cavity. Using 2D PIC simulations, we discuss the effects of evolution of single and binary electron vortices. Single electron vortices, though being in a quasistationary state on electron timescales, evolve on ion timescales, leading to anisotropic multishell ion motion. Binary electron vortices may be subject to complex motions, which can be described by the point-vortex solutions of Hasegawa-Mima equation. When the finite radius effects come into play, we observe effects as magnetic field annihilation with the subsequent fast electron bunch generation and secondary vortex formation