Speaker
Dr
Louise Willingale
(University of Michigan)
Description
We will discuss OMEGA EP experiments of the interaction of a relativistic intensity, picosecond-duration laser pulse with an underdense plasma. A 1200 J, 2.5 ns pulse heated a plastic (or deuterated plastic) target to create an underdense plasma plume target. The ponderomotive force of the laser forms a channel through the plasma. Filamentation of the laser, and therefore filamentation of the created channel, have been observed both with proton and optical probing. High-energy electron beams have been measured along the laser axis, with energies exceeding 400 MeV. Peaked structures were observed in the transverse ion spectra. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are used to investigate the interaction. In particular, to look for evidence of the peaked ion spectra and the origin of the structures.
Primary author
Dr
Louise Willingale
(University of Michigan)
Co-authors
Ms
A Hussein
(University of Michigan)
Dr
A V Arefiev
(University of Texas, Austin)
Dr
C Stoeckl
(LLE)
Dr
C Zulick
(NRL)
Dr
H Chen
(LLNL)
Dr
J Cobble
(LANL)
Prof.
K Krushelnick
(University of Michigan)
Mr
P Kordell
(University of Michigan)
Dr
PM Nilson
(LLE)
TC Sangster
(LLE)
