Dynamics of relativistic laser-plasma interaction on solid targets.
A novel time-resolved diagnostic is used to record the critical surface motion during picosecond-scale relativistic laser interaction with a solid target. Single-shot measurements of the specular light show a redshift decreasing with time during the interaction, corresponding to a slowing-down of the hole boring process into overdense plasma. On-shot full characterization of the laser pulse enables simulations of the experiment without any free parameters. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations yield redshifts that agree with the data, and support a simple explanation of the slowing-down of the critical surface based on momentum conservation between ions and reflected laser light.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
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Ping
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Kemp
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Divol
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Key
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Patel
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Akli
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Beg
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Chawla
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Chen
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Freeman
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Hey
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Higginson
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Jarrott
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Kemp
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Link
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McLean
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Sawada
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Stephens
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Turnbull
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Westover
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Wilks