Recent experiments of fast electron heating of aluminum foil targets
have been analyzed by means of hybrid PIC simulations. A suitable initial
angular distribution of fast electrons has been used and the diameter of
the fast electron source has been fitted to reproduce with the same
simulation parameters the beam divergence, Kα yields and
temperatures at the target rear surface measured in the experiments. This
results in a consistent description of the fast electron propagation that
can be useful in general for simulations of laser-driven fast electron
transport in dense media.
