Effect of pressure relaxation during the laser heating and electron–ion relaxation stages

The multi-phase equation of state by Bushman et al. (Sov. Tech. Rev. 5:1–44, 2008) is modified to describe states with different electron and ion temperatures and it is applied to the non-equilibrium evolution of an aluminum sample heated by a subpicosecond laser pulse. The sample evolution is described by the two-temperature model for the electron and ion temperatures, while the pressure and density are described by a simplified relaxation equation. The pressure relaxation in the heating stage reduces the binding energy and facilitates the electron-driven ablation. The model is applied to estimate the ablation depth of an Al target irradiated by a subpicosecond laser pulse. It improves the agreement with the experimental data and provides a new explanation of the ablation process.     

Half-Integer Harmonics Generation in Laser-Produced Plasma

Half integer (3/2ω₀, 1/2ω₀) harmonics generation under oblique incidence of the pump-wave on the spatially inhomogeneous plasma is theoretically investigated. Harmonics generation is connected with the two-plasmon convective instability excitation near the quarter-critical density. Harmonics spectra and intensities depend essentially on the pump wave polarization. In particular, significant harmonics spectra broadening arises under the p-polarized pump wave.     

Self-focusing, channel formation, and high-energy ion generation in interaction of an intense short laser pulse with a He jet

Using interferometry, we investigate the dynamics of interaction of a relativistically intense 4-TW, 400-fs laser pulse with a He gas jet. We observe a stable plasma channel 1 mm long and less than 30 microm in diameter, with a radial gradient of electron density approximately 5 x 10(22) cm(-4) and with an on-axis electron density approximately ten times less than its maximum value of 8 x 10(19) cm(-3). A high radial velocity of the surrounding gas ionization of approximately 3.8 x 10(8) cm/s has been observed after the channel formation, and it is attributed to the fast ions expelled from the laser channel and propagating radially outward. We developed a kinetic model which describes the plasma channel formation and the subsequent ambient gas excitation and ionization. Comparing the model predictions with the interferometric data, we reconstructed the axial profile of laser channel and on-axis laser intensity. The estimated maximum energy of accelerated ions is about 500 keV, and the total energy of the fast ions is 5% of the laser pulse energy.     

Stability and bistability of stationary states in four-wave interaction in a photorefractive medium

The stability of stationary states is investigated analytically and numerically for various four-wave mixing schemes in a photorefractive medium with nonlocal nonlinear response when recorded with a translucent grating. Bistability is indicated for a number of four-wave-mixing schemes and the conditions for its existence are indicated.Quantum-Radiophysics Division, Plasma-Phenomena-Theory Sector, Lebedev Physics Institute. Translated from Preprint No. 138 of the Lebedev Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, 1989.     

Cylindrical cumulation of fast ions in a ring focus of a high-power subpicosecond laser

A new method of cylindrical cumulation of fast ions undergoing ponderomotive acceleration at the focus of a high-power subpicosecond laser is proposed. When a laser beam is focused in a preionized gas at a ring focus, radial acceleration of ions by the ponderomotive force occurs. The ions accelerated from the inner side of the ring form a cylindrical shock wave converging toward the axis. As the shock wave cumulates, the ion density increases rapidly and the ion-ion collision probability increases along with it. A numerical simulation for a ~100 TW subpicosecond laser pulse predicts the generation of up to 200 keV ions and up to 100-fold volume compression of the plasma in a cylinder ~1 μm in diameter. The lifetime of the dense plasma filament over the length of the laser caustic is several picoseconds. It is suggested that laser cumulation of ions be used for the production of a bright and compact subpicosecond source of fast neutrons, media for x-and γ-ray lasers, and multiply-charged ions and for the initiation of nuclear reactions. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 1, 20–25 (10 January 1999)     

High order resolution of the Maxwell–Fokker–Planck–Landau model intended for ICF applications

A high order, deterministic direct numerical method is proposed for the non-relativistic 2D_x×3D_v$2D_{\mathbf{x}}\times 3D_{\mathbf{v}}$ Vlasov–Maxwell system, coupled with Fokker–Planck–Landau collision operators. The magnetic field is perpendicular to the 2D_x$2D_{\mathbf{x}}$ plane surface of computation, whereas the electric fields occur in this plane. Such a system is devoted to modelling of electron transport and energy deposition in the general frame of Inertial Confinement Fusion applications. It is able to describe the kinetics of the plasma electrons in the nonlocal equilibrium regime, and permits to consider a large anisotropy degree of the distribution function. We develop specific methods and approaches for validation, that might be used in other fields where couplings between equations, multiscale physics, and high dimensionality are involved. Fast algorithms are employed, which makes this direct approach computationally affordable for simulations of hundreds of collisional times.     

Terahertz radiation source in air based on bifilamentation of femtosecond laser pulses

A new terahertz (THz) source in air based on the bifilamentation of femtosecond laser pulses is reported. This THz radiation is 1 order of magnitude more intense than the transition-Cherenkov THz emission from femtosecond laser filaments reported recently and shows different angular and polarization properties. We attribute it to the emission from a bimodal transmission line created by two plasma filaments.