Wave breaking and absorption efficiency for short pulse p-polarized laser light in a very steep density gradient
- 1 February 1993
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Physics of Fluids B: Plasma Physics
- Vol. 5 (2) , 564-570
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860542
Abstract
The nonlinear interaction of an ultrashort‐pulse laser with a solid target is investigated by using a newly developed particle simulation code, which enables the analysis of laser–plasma interaction in the very steep density gradient in which the laser light penetrates into an overdense plasma. For an ultrashort laser pulse, the plasma density scale length Ld satisfies Ld≤r0 for an electron excursion length r0. Laser absorption and electron acceleration processes are proposed for the above situation. It is found that the wave breaking is the main mechanism of the electron acceleration and laser absorption, as is discussed in Brunel’s paper [Phys. Rev. Lett. 59, 52 (1987)].Keywords
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