Back to Search
Start Over
Self-focusing of short intense pulses in plasmas.
- Source :
-
Physics of Fluids (00319171) . Feb87, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p526. 7p. - Publication Year :
- 1987
-
Abstract
- The self-focusing of relativistically intense laser light pulses is analyzed, where the pulse length is short enough that ion inertia prevents any significant motion of ions. Self-focusing occurs as a result of an increase of the wave refractive index arising from two effects: the mass increase of electrons caused by their relativistic quiver velocity in the light wave, and the reduction of the electron density as a result of ponderomotive force expulsion of the electrons. The latter effect is significant even for rather small values of (P-PL)/PL, where P is the laser beam power and PL is the critical power above which self-focusing occurs. In fact, for (P-PL)/PL>=0.1 the effect is so strong that all electrons are expelled within a core radial region of the self-focused laser light channel (this new phenomenon is called electron cavitation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *ULTRASHORT laser pulses
*IONS
*PHYSICS
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00319171
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Physics of Fluids (00319171)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 9828839
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.866349