Ultraintense Laser-Produced Fast-Electron Propagation in Gas Jets

D. Batani, S. D. Baton, M. Manclossi, J. J. Santos, F. Amiranoff, M. Koenig, E. Martinolli, A. Antonicci, C. Rousseaux, M. Rabec Le Gloahec, T. Hall, V. Malka, T. E. Cowan, J. King, R. R. Freeman, M. Key, and R. Stephens

Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 055004 – Published 9 February 2005

Abstract

We study the propagation of fast electrons in a gas at different densities. A large relativistic electron current is produced by focusing a short-pulse ultrahigh-intensity laser on a metallic target. It then propagates in a gas jet placed behind the foil. Shadowgraphy in the gas shows an electron cloud moving at sub-relativistic average velocities. The experiment shows (i) the essential role of the density of background material for allowing propagation of fast electrons, (ii) the importance of the ionization phase which produces free electrons available for the return current, and (iii) the effect of electrostatic fields on fast-electron propagation.

Received 18 February 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.055004

Authors & Affiliations

D. Batani¹, S. D. Baton², M. Manclossi^1,*, J. J. Santos², F. Amiranoff², M. Koenig², E. Martinolli^1,2, A. Antonicci¹, C. Rousseaux³, M. Rabec Le Gloahec³, T. Hall⁴, V. Malka⁵, T. E. Cowan⁶, J. King⁷, R. R. Freeman^7,†, M. Key⁸, and R. Stephens⁹

¹Dipartimento di Fisica "G. Occhialini" and INFM, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Italy
²Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses, UMR 7605 CNRS-CEA-X-Paris VI, Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
³Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, Bruyères-le-Châtel, France
⁴University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
⁵Laboratoire d’Optique Applique, UMR ENSTA-CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France
⁶University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA
⁷Department of Applied Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
⁸Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
⁹Inertial Fusion Technology Division, Energy Group, General Atomics, San Diego, CA 92121, USA

^*Also at Dipartimentio di Ingegneria Nucleare, Politecnico di Milano, Italy.
^†Also at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

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Vol. 94, Iss. 5 — 11 February 2005

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