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Intense local plasma heating by stopping of ultrashort ultraintense laser pulse in dense plasma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2007

W. Yu ,
M. Y. Yu ,
H. Xu ,
Y. W. Tian ,
J. Chen  and
A. Y. Wong
W. Yu
Affiliation:
Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Shanghai, China
M. Y. Yu*
Affiliation:
Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany
H. Xu
Affiliation:
Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Shanghai, China
Y. W. Tian
Affiliation:
Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Shanghai, China
J. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
A. Y. Wong
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: M. Y. Yu, Institut für Theoretische Physik I, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany. E-mail: ming.yu@rub.de
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Abstract

Self-trapping, stopping, and absorption of an ultrashort ultraintense linearly polarized laser pulse in a finite plasma slab of near-critical density is investigated by particle-in-cell simulation. As in the underdense plasma, an electron cavity is created by the pressure of the transmitted part of the light pulse and it traps the latter. Since the background plasma is at near-critical density, no wake plasma oscillation is created. The propagating self-trapped light rapidly comes to a stop inside the slab. Subsequent ion Coulomb explosion of the stopped cavity leads to explosive expulsion of its ions and formation of an extended channel having extremely low plasma density. The energetic Coulomb-exploded ions form shock layers of high density and temperature at the channel boundary. In contrast to a propagating pulse in a lower density plasma, here the energy of the trapped light is deposited onto a stationary and highly localized region of the plasma. This highly localized energy-deposition process can be relevant to the fast ignition scheme of inertial fusion.

Keywords

Critical density plasmaEnergy absorptionEnergetic ionsUltrashort ultraintense laser
Type
Research Article
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , December 2007 , pp. 631 - 638
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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