Rapid Embedded Wire Heating via Resistive Guiding of Laser-Generated Fast Electrons as a Hydrodynamic Driver

Resistively guiding laser-generated fast electron beams in targets consisting of a resistive wire embedded in lower $Z$ material should allow one to rapidly heat the wire to over 100eV over a substantial distance without strongly heating the surrounding material. On the multi-ps timescale this can drive hydrodynamic motion in the surrounding material. Thus ultra-intense laser solid interactions have the potential as a controlled driver of radiation hydrodynamics in solid density material. In this paper we assess the laser and target parameters needed to achieve such rapid and controlled heating of the embedded wire.