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:	Sherlock
First Name:	Mark
E-Mail:	m.w.sherlockrl.ac.uk
Affiliation for Badge:	Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Institute:
Address (Street):	Rutherford Appleton Lab
Postal Code, City:	OX11 0QX
Country:	United Kingdom
Phone:	01235-778369
Fax:
Author(s):	m.sherlock, a.r.bell, r.j.kingham, a.p.l.robinson, r.bingham
Institute(s):	RAL, Imperial College
Title:	Non-Spitzer return currents in intense laser-plasma interactions
Abstract:	The propagation of an intense laser-produced hot electron distribution through overdense, long scale-length plasma is modeled using the 1D2P relativistic electron Vlasov-Fokker-Planck code KALOS. The initial density profile is chosen to be relevant to the coronal region in fast ignition fusion scenarios in which the density rises from around 10ncr to solid density over 35 microns. Under these conditions, the return current transport is intermediate between that of collisional Spitzer transport characterized by strong resistivity and that of collisionless transport characterized by electron inertia. It is shown that the isotropic component of the distribution function of the return-current-carrying electrons becomes doubly peaked. Strong anisotropic pressure inhomogeneities can drive additional contributions to the return current not considered in Spitzer¿s transport equations. As a result the electric field can become an order-of-magnitude greater than its classical (Spitzer) value.