Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T16:11:41.517Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Interaction of high intensity picosecond laser pulses with large preformed plasmas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2009

D. Riley ,
R.A. Smith ,
A. J. MacKinnon ,
O. Willi  and
M.H.R. Hutchinson
D. Riley
Affiliation:
The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ
R.A. Smith
Affiliation:
The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ
A. J. MacKinnon
Affiliation:
The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ
O. Willi
Affiliation:
The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ
M.H.R. Hutchinson
Affiliation:
The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The interaction of short (1−2 ps) laser pulses with solid targets at irradiances of over 1016 Wcm−2, in the presence of a substantial prepulse has been investigated. High absorption of laser energy is found even at high angles of incidence, with evidence for a resonance absorption peak being found for S, P, and circular polarizations. It is considered that this may be a result of refraction and beam filamentation, which causes loss of distinct polarization. Measurements of hard X-ray emission (∼ 100 keV) confirm a resonance absorption type peak at 45−50°, again for all three cases. Typically, 5−15% of the incident light is back-reflected by stimulated Brillouin scatter, with spatially resolved spectra showing evidence of beam hot-spots at high intensity. The possibility that filamentation and refraction of the beam can explain the lack of polarization dependence in the absorption and hard X-ray emission data is discussed.

Type
Regular Papers
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 16 , Issue 1: Special Issue: 24th ECLIM , March 1998 , pp. 101 - 113
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barnes, D.C. et al. 1987 IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 15, 154.Google Scholar
Burnett, N.H. et al. 1984 Phys. Rev. A 29, 2294.Google Scholar
Christiansen, J.P. et al. 1974 Computer Phys. Comm. 7, 271.Google Scholar
Cobble, J.A. et al. 1991 J. Appl. Phys. 69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godwin, R.P. et al. 1977 Phys. Rev. Lett. 39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goebel, D.G. 1967 Applied Optics 6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kieffer, J.C. et al. 1989 Phys. Rev. Lett. 62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kruer, W.L. 1988 Physics of Laser Plasma Interactions (Addison-Wesley).Google Scholar
Lehmberg, R.H. & Stamper, J.A. 1978 Phys. Fluids 21, 814.Google Scholar
Luan, S. et al. 1993 Measurement Science and Technology 4, 1426.Google Scholar
Maine, P. et al. 1983 IEEE J. Quantum Electron 24, 2082.Google Scholar
Solem, J.C. et al. 1989 IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics 25, 2423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tabak, M. et al. 1994 Physics of Plasmas 1, 1626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar