Ponderomotive versus Thermal Filamentation in High Z Targets

POSTER

Abstract

The filamentation instability of lasers in high Z plasmas is investigated. The wavelength dependence of the two principal filamentation mechanisms, namely the ponderomotive force and Joule heating, are examined and deductions made of their relative importance for current holhraum experiments. It is found that the Joule heating mechanism is comparable for short wavelengths and high Z materials while the ponderomotive force becomes more important for longer wavelengths and low Z materials. The effect of plasma density and laser bandwidth is also examined and reported on.

Authors

  • Robert Bingham

    • Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
    • STFC/RAL

  • R.M.G.M. Trines

    • STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK
    • STFC/RAL
    • STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

  • P. Norreys

    • STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, UK and University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
    • STFC/RAL
    • STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

  • Luis Silva

    • GoLP/IPFN - IST
    • GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear - LA, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Portugal
    • GoLP/IPFN, Instituto Superior T\'ecnico, Lisbon, Portugal
    • GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fus\~ao Nuclear - Laboratorio Associado, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal
    • GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fus\~ao Nuclear - Laborat\'orio Associado, Instituto Superior T\'ecnico, Lisbon, Portugal
    • Instituto Superior T\'ecnico - GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusao Nuclear
    • Instituto de Plasmas e Fus\~ao Nuclear-Laborat\'orio Associado, Instituto Superior T\'ecnico
    • Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa Portugal
    • GoLP
    • Instituto Superior T\'ecnico

  • R. Cairns

    • University of St Andrews
    • University of St. Andrews