title: In-depth plasma-wave heating of dense plasma irradiated by short laser pulses.
abstract: We investigate the mechanism by which relativistic electron bunches created at the surface of a target irradiated by a very short and intense laser pulse transfer energy to the deeper parts of the target. In existing theories, the dominant heating mechanism is that of resistive heating by the neutralizing return current. In addition to this, we find that large amplitude plasma waves are induced in the plasma in the wake of relativistic electron bunches. The subsequent collisional damping of these waves represents a source of heating that can exceed the resistive heating rate. As a result, solid targets heat significantly faster than has been previously considered. A new hybrid model, capable of reproducing these results, is described.
authors.affiliation: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sherlock
authors.affiliation: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2G7.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rozmus