title: Femtosecond microscopy of radial energy transport in a micrometer-scale aluminum plasma excited at relativistic intensity.
abstract: Using femtosecond microscopy, we observe subpicosecond transport of thermal energy radially outward from a micrometer-sized spot of an aluminum target following P-polarized excitation at >10(18) W/cm2 with a 24 fs pulse. The rapid expansion coincides with the onset of nonlocal energy transport dominated by radiation and hot electrons.
authors.affiliation: FOCUS Center, Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. bowes@physics.utexas.edu
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Bowes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Langhoff
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Downer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nees
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mourou