Propagation instabilities of high-intensity laser-produced electron beams.
Measurements of energetic electron beams generated from ultrahigh intensity laser interactions (I>10(19) W/cm(2)) with dense plasmas are discussed. These interactions have been shown to produce very directional beams, although with a broad energy spectrum. In the regime where the beam density approaches the density of the background plasma, we show that these beams are unstable to filamentation and "hosing" instabilities. Particle-in-cell simulations also indicate the development of such instabilities. This is a regime of particular interest for inertial confinement fusion applications of these beams (i.e., "fast ignition").
Tatarakis
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The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom.
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Clark
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Dangor
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Edwards
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Evans
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Goldsack
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Ledingham
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Norreys
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Sinclair
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Wei
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Zepf
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Krushelnick
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