Interaction of Short Petawatt Laser Pulses with Plasma
- Theory and Simulations

Laserlab Europe Workshop

Georg-Christoph-Lichtenberg-Haus, Darmstadt
October 14 - 17, 2007 -
Registered Participants Information

Title:	Dr.
Last Name:	Macchi
First Name:	Andrea
E-Mail:	macchidf.unipi.it
Affiliation for Badge:	PolyLab, CNR-INFM, Pisa, Italy
Institute:
Address (Street):	Largo B. Pontecorvo 3
Postal Code, City:	I-56127 Pisa
Country:	Italy
Phone:	+390502214862
Fax:	+390502214333
Author(s):	A. Macchi
Institute(s):	polyLab, CNR-INFM, Pisa, Italy and Dipartimento di Fisica "E. Fermi", University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Title:	Radiation Pressure Acceleration of Ions and the Role of Hydrodynamical Breaking
Abstract:	We describe two physical situations in laser-plasma interactions where as a common feature ions are accelerated by the steady ponderomotive force, i.e. by the radiation pressure of a superintense laser pulse. In the first case we consider the radial acceleration by a laser pulse propagating in an underdense plasma. In the second case we consider the longitudinal acceleration by a circularly polarized laser pulse interacting with an overdense plasma. We emphasize similarities between the two cases and in particularly the role of hydrodynamical breaking in the ion fluid. Related effects on electric field generation in the underdense plasma have been experimentally observed and will be discussed. References: - A. Macchi, F. Cattani, T. V. Liseikina, F. Cornolti, Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 165003 (2005) - T. V. Liseikina and A. Macchi, "Features of ion acceleration by circularly polarized laser pulses", arXiv:physics/0705.4019. - A. Macchi, F. Ceccherini, F. Cornolti, S. Kar, M. Borghesi, "Ponderomotive laser ion acceleration and electric field dynamics following charge-displacement channeling", arXiv:physics/0701139. - S. Kar et al., "Dynamics of charge-displacement channeling in intense laser-plasma interactions", arXiv:physics/0701332.