Abstract
High-power lasers in the relativistic intensity regime with multi-picosecond pulse durations are available in many laboratories around the world. Laser pulses at these intensities reach giga-bar level radiation pressures, which can push the plasma critical surface where laser light is reflected. This process is referred to as the laser hole boring (HB), which is critical for plasma heating, hence essential for laser-based applications. Here we derive the limit density for HB, which is the maximum plasma density the laser can reach, as a function of laser intensity. The time scale for when the laser pulse reaches the limit density is also derived. These theories are confirmed by a series of particle-in-cell simulations. After reaching the limit density, the plasma starts to blowout back toward the laser, and is accompanied by copious superthermal electrons; therefore, the electron energy can be determined by varying the laser pulse length.
Highlights
High-power lasers in the relativistic intensity regime with multi-picosecond pulse durations are available in many laboratories around the world
We find that the hole boring (HB) is stopped in the ps time regime even while the laser pulse is still on, and the surface plasma eventually starts to blowout to the front side
As an introduction of the HB, we show an interaction of plasma with linearly polarized high-intensity laser field by using Fig. 1
Summary
High-power lasers in the relativistic intensity regime with multi-picosecond pulse durations are available in many laboratories around the world. The laser light proceeds to push the plasma surface, which has the relativistic critical density γnc into the target.
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