Self-focusing/Defocusing of Hermite-Sinh-Gaussian Laser Beam in Underdense Inhomogeneous Plasmas

Investigation of a Channeling High-Intensity Laser Beam in Underdense Plasmas

The interaction of an intense short pulse laser ( 5 10 18 Wcm ) with underdense plasma was extensively studied. The beam is found to be highly susceptible to the forward Raman scattering instability. At sufficiently high growth rates, this can lead to wavebreaking with the resultant production of a high flux of accelerated electrons ( 10 for E 2 MeV). Some electrons are found to be accelerated ...

Self-guiding of ultrashort, relativistically intense laser pulses through underdense plasmas in the blowout regime.

The self-guiding of relativistically intense but ultrashort laser pulses has been experimentally investigated as a function of laser power, plasma density, and plasma length in the blowout regime. The extent of self-guiding, observed by imaging the plasma exit, is shown to be limited by nonlinear pump depletion with observed self-guiding of over tens of Rayleigh lengths. Spectrally resolved ima...

Spatially resolved measurements of laser filamentation in long scale length underdense plasmas with and without beam smoothing.

The onset of filamentation, following the interaction of a relatively long (τ(L)≃1  ns) and intense (I(L)≃5×10(14)  W/cm(2)) laser pulse with a neopentane filled gas bag target, has been experimentally studied via the proton radiography technique, in conditions of direct relevance to the indirect drive inertial confinement fusion scheme. The density gradients associated with filamentation onset...

Scattering of a Hermite-gaussian Beam by a Chiral Sphere

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...