7 research outputs found
Electric field dynamics and ion acceleration in the self-channeling of a superintense laser pulse
The dynamics of electric field generation and radial acceleration of ions by
a laser pulse of relativistic intensity propagating in an underdense plasma has
been investigated using an one-dimensional electrostatic, ponderomotive model
developed to interpret experimental measurements of electric fields [S. Kar et
al, New J. Phys. *9*, 402 (2007)]. Ions are spatially focused at the edge of
the charge-displacement channel, leading to hydrodynamical breaking, which in
turns causes the heating of electrons and an "echo" effect in the electric
field. The onset of complete electron depletion in the central region of the
channel leads to a smooth transition to a "Coulomb explosion" regime and a
saturation of ion acceleration.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, final revised version, to appear on Plasma Phys.
Contr. Fus., special issue on "Laser and Plasma Accelerators", scheduled for
February, 200
Ion dynamics and coherent structure formation following laser pulse self-channeling
The propagation of a superintense laser pulse in an underdense, inhomogeneous
plasma has been studied numerically by two-dimensional particle-in-cell
simulations on a time scale extending up to several picoseconds. The effects of
the ion dynamics following the charge-displacement self-channeling of the laser
pulse have been addressed. Radial ion acceleration leads to the ``breaking'' of
the plasma channel walls, causing an inversion of the radial space-charge field
and the filamentation of the laser pulse. At later times a number of
long-lived, quasi-periodic field structures are observed and their dynamics is
characterized with high resolution. Inside the plasma channel, a pattern of
electric and magnetic fields resembling both soliton- and vortex-like
structures is observed.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures (visit http://www.df.unipi.it/~macchi to download
a high-resolution version), to appear in Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
(Dec. 2007), special issue containing invited papers from the 34th EPS
Conference on Plasma Physics (Warsaw, July 2007
Generation and Observation of Coherent, Long--Lived Structures in a Laser--Plasma Channel
SUMMARY In recent experiments of laser pulse interaction at relativistic intensities
with a low density plasma, the proton radiography technique showed evidence of
long--lived field structures generated after the self-channeling of the laser
pulse. We present 2D particle-in-cell simulations of this interaction regime,
where the dynamics of similar structures has been resolved with high temporal
and spatial resolution. An axially symmetrical field pattern, resembling both
soliton-like and vortex structures, has been observed. A study of the physics
of such structures and a comparison with experimental data is in progress