title: Rayleigh-Taylor instability of an ultrathin foil accelerated by the radiation pressure of an intense laser.
abstract: We report experimental evidence for a Rayleigh-Taylor-like instability driven by radiation pressure of an ultraintense (10(21) W/cm(2)) laser pulse. The instability is witnessed by the highly modulated profile of the accelerated proton beam produced when the laser irradiates a 5 nm diamondlike carbon (90% C, 10% H) target. Clear anticorrelation between bubblelike modulations of the proton beam and transmitted laser profile further demonstrate the role of the radiation pressure in modulating the foil. Measurements of the modulation wavelength, and of the acceleration from Doppler-broadening of back-reflected light, agree quantitatively with particle-in-cell simulations performed for our experimental parameters and which confirm the existence of this instability.
authors.affiliation: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BW, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: C A J
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schreiber
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nagel
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Dover
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellei
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Beg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bott
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dangor
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hilz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kneip
authors.forename: S P D
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Mangles
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.forename: A P L
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spindloe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szerypo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatarakis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zepf
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Najmudin