Laser channeling in millimeter-scale underdense plasmas of fast-ignition targets.
Two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that laser channeling in millimeter-scale underdense plasmas is a highly nonlinear and dynamic process involving longitudinal plasma buildup, laser hosing, channel bifurcation and self-correction, and electron heating to relativistic temperatures. The channeling speed is much less than the linear group velocity of the laser. The simulations find that low-intensity channeling pulses are preferred to minimize the required laser energy but with an estimated lower bound on the intensity of I approximately 5x10(18) W/cm(2) if the channel is to be established within 100 ps. The channel is also shown to significantly increase the transmission of an ignition pulse.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA.
G
G
Li
R
R
Yan
C
C
Ren
T-L
TL
Wang
J
J
Tonge
W B
WB
Mori