Mechanism of generating fast electrons by an intense laser at a steep overdense interface

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Mechanism of generating fast electrons by an intense laser at a steep overdense interface

J. May, J. Tonge, F. Fiuza, R. A. Fonseca, L. O. Silva, C. Ren, and W. B. Mori

Phys. Rev. E 84, 025401(R) – Published 3 August 2011

Abstract

The acceleration and heating of electrons by an intense laser normally incident on a steep overdense plasma interface is investigated using the particle-in-cell code osiris. Energetic electrons are generated by the laser’s electric field in the vacuum region within $λ / 4$ of the surface. Only those electrons which originate within the plasma with a sufficiently large transverse momentum can escape the plasma. This mechanism relies on the standing wave structure created by the incoming and reflected wave and is therefore very different for linear and circularly polarized light.

Received 17 December 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.84.025401

Authors & Affiliations

J. May¹, J. Tonge¹, F. Fiuza³, R. A. Fonseca³, L. O. Silva³, C. Ren⁴, and W. B. Mori^1,2

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
²Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
³GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, P-1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
⁴Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA

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Vol. 84, Iss. 2 — August 2011

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