title: Lateral electron transport in high-intensity laser-irradiated foils diagnosed by ion emission.
abstract: An experimental investigation of lateral electron transport in thin metallic foil targets irradiated by ultraintense (>or=10(19) W/cm2) laser pulses is reported. Two-dimensional spatially resolved ion emission measurements are used to quantify electric-field generation resulting from electron transport. The measurement of large electric fields ( approximately 0.1 TV/m) millimeters from the laser focus reveals that lateral energy transport continues long after the laser pulse has decayed. Numerical simulations confirm a very strong enhancement of electron density and electric field at the edges of the target.
authors.affiliation: SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: K W D
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Ledingham
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lindau
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lundh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McCanny
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Neely
authors.forename: A P L
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robson
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: C-G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Wahlström
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zepf