High Intensity Laser Propagation though Overdense Plasmas

Study of Laser-Hole Boring into Overdense Plasmas.

Electron acceleration and the propagation of ultrashort high-intensity laser pulses in plasmas

Reported are interactions of high-intensity laser pulses ( lambda = 810 nm and I</=3x10(18) W/cm(2)) with plasmas in a new parameter regime, in which the pulse duration ( tau = 29 fs) corresponds to 0. 6-2.6 plasma periods. Relativistic filamentation is observed to cause laser-beam breakup and scattering of the beam out of the vacuum propagation angle. A beam of megaelectronvolt electrons with ...

Coherent wake emission of high-order harmonics from overdense plasmas.

We present a new mechanism for high-order harmonic generation by reflection of a laser beam from an overdense plasma, efficient even at moderate laser intensities (down to Igamma2 approximately 4x10(15) W cm-2 microm2). In this mechanism, a transient phase matching between the electromagnetic field and plasma oscillations within a density gradient leads to the emission of harmonics up to the pl...

Focus optimization of relativistic self-focusing for anomalous laser penetration into overdense plasmas (super-penetration)

Relativistic electron motion in a plasma due to an intense laser pulse modifies the refractive index and leads to two effects: relativistic induced transparency and relativistic self-focusing. A combination of the above two effects enables transmission of laser energy deep into plasmas which is useful for fast ignition of inertial fusion. This so-called super-penetration sensitively depends on ...

Intense laser-driven electrostatic shocks and its acceleration of ions in overdense plasmas

We investigated numerically the formation and propagation of the electrostatic shocks in overdense plasmas irradiated by intense ultrashort laser pulses. The dependence of the initial shock speeds on the parameters of the plasma and the laser is explained by invoking the modified momentum conservation model. The acceleration of ions by the shocks is also discussed.