Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Spatiotemporal evolution of Gaussian laser beam in a multiply ionized plasma under a weakly relativistic regime

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

M.R. Jafari Milani

Photonic and Quantum Technologies Research School, Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute, AEOI, P.O.Box: 14395-836, Tehran - Iran

https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2022.1357
Abstract
Taking relativistic-ponderomotive nonlinearity into account, the dynamics of an intense Gaussian laser pulse propagating in a multi ions plasma has been studied. The modification of the dielectric permittivity of such plasma due to the ponderomotive force of the laser pulse has been derived. The coupled equations governing the laser pulse dynamics in space and time have been achieved and numerically solved, using the complex eikonal function and paraxial ray approximation. The effects of the initial laser intensity, multiply charged ions, specifically singly and doubly charged ions, on the self-focusing and self-compression of the Gaussian laser pulse in the plasma have been investigated. It was found that there is a particular laser intensity range where self-compression can occur. It was further observed that the multiply charged ions improve or weaken the nonlinear effects depending on the initial laser intensity, which leads to the pulse evolution.

Highlights

1. T. Katsouleas, W. Mori, C. Darrow, Laser wakefield acceleration with high relativistic pumps, in AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 193 (1989).

 

2. M. Rosen, et al, Exploding-foil technique for achieving a soft x-ray laser, Physical Review Letters, 54, 106 (1985). 

 

3. S. Atzeni, J. Meyer-ter Vehn, The Physics of Inertial Fusion: BeamPlasma Interaction, Hydrodynamics, Hot Dense Matter, 125 (Oxford University Press on Demand, 2004).

 

4. C. Karle, K. Spatschek, Relativistic laser pulse focusing and self-compression in stratified plasma-vacuum systems, Physics of Plasmas, 15, (2008)

 

5. W. Mori, et al, Evolution of self-focusing of intense electromagnetic waves in plasma, Physical Review Letters, 60, (1988).

 

6. M. Feit, A. Komashko, A. Rubenchik, Relativistic self-focusing in underdense plasma, Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 152, (2001).

 

7. B. Yedierler, Remote ionization by a short pulse laser beam propagating in the atmosphere, Physics of Plasmas, 15, (2008).

 

8. H. Brandi, et al, Relativistic self-focusing of ultra- intense laser pulses in inhomogeneous underdense plasmas, Physical Review, E 47, (1993).

 

9. B. Hafizi, et al, Relativistic effects on intense laser beam propagation in plasma channels, Physics of Plasmas, 10, (2003).

 

10. B. Bokaei, A. Niknam, E. Imani, Spatiotemporal evolution of high power laser pulses in relativistic magnetized inhomogeneous plasmas, Physics of Plasmas, 22, (2015).

 

11. S. Kumar, et al, Self-compression of two co-propagating laser pulse having relativistic nonlinearity in plasma, Laser and Particle Beams, 35, (2017).

 

12. N. Saedjalil, et al, Interaction of a self-focused laser beam with a DT fusion target in a plasma-loaded cone-guided ICF scheme, Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 131 (2016).

 

13. M.R. Jafari Milani, Spatiotemporal dynamics of Gaussian laser pulse in a multi ions plasma, Physics of Plasmas, 23, (2016).

 

14. C.S. Liu, V. Tripathi, Interaction of electromagnetic waves with electron beams and plasmas, World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (1994).

 

15. S. Misra, S. Mishra, M. Sodha, Self-focusing of a gaussian electromagnetic beam in a multi-ions plasma, Physics of Plasmas, 20, (2013).

 

16. M.A. Heald, C.B. Wharton, Plasma diagnostics with microwaves, (1965).

 

17. S.A. Akhmanov, A.P. Sukhorukov, R. Khokhlov, Self-focusing and diffraction of light in a nonlinear medium, Physics-Uspekhi, 10, (1968).

 

18. T. Oh, et al, Intense terahertz generation in two-color laser filamentation: Energy scaling with terawatt laser systems, New J. Phys. 15, (2013).

Keywords

Laser pulse propagation in plasma
Laser pulse self-focusing
Laser pulse self-compression
1. T. Katsouleas, W. Mori, C. Darrow, Laser wakefield acceleration with high relativistic pumps, in AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 193 (1989).
 
2. M. Rosen, et al, Exploding-foil technique for achieving a soft x-ray laser, Physical Review Letters, 54, 106 (1985). 
 
3. S. Atzeni, J. Meyer-ter Vehn, The Physics of Inertial Fusion: BeamPlasma Interaction, Hydrodynamics, Hot Dense Matter, 125 (Oxford University Press on Demand, 2004).
 
4. C. Karle, K. Spatschek, Relativistic laser pulse focusing and self-compression in stratified plasma-vacuum systems, Physics of Plasmas, 15, (2008)
 
5. W. Mori, et al, Evolution of self-focusing of intense electromagnetic waves in plasma, Physical Review Letters, 60, (1988).
 
6. M. Feit, A. Komashko, A. Rubenchik, Relativistic self-focusing in underdense plasma, Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomena, 152, (2001).
 
7. B. Yedierler, Remote ionization by a short pulse laser beam propagating in the atmosphere, Physics of Plasmas, 15, (2008).
 
8. H. Brandi, et al, Relativistic self-focusing of ultra- intense laser pulses in inhomogeneous underdense plasmas, Physical Review, E 47, (1993).
 
9. B. Hafizi, et al, Relativistic effects on intense laser beam propagation in plasma channels, Physics of Plasmas, 10, (2003).
 
10. B. Bokaei, A. Niknam, E. Imani, Spatiotemporal evolution of high power laser pulses in relativistic magnetized inhomogeneous plasmas, Physics of Plasmas, 22, (2015).
 
11. S. Kumar, et al, Self-compression of two co-propagating laser pulse having relativistic nonlinearity in plasma, Laser and Particle Beams, 35, (2017).
 
12. N. Saedjalil, et al, Interaction of a self-focused laser beam with a DT fusion target in a plasma-loaded cone-guided ICF scheme, Eur. Phys. J. Plus, 131 (2016).
 
13. M.R. Jafari Milani, Spatiotemporal dynamics of Gaussian laser pulse in a multi ions plasma, Physics of Plasmas, 23, (2016).
 
14. C.S. Liu, V. Tripathi, Interaction of electromagnetic waves with electron beams and plasmas, World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (1994).
 
15. S. Misra, S. Mishra, M. Sodha, Self-focusing of a gaussian electromagnetic beam in a multi-ions plasma, Physics of Plasmas, 20, (2013).
 
16. M.A. Heald, C.B. Wharton, Plasma diagnostics with microwaves, (1965).
 
17. S.A. Akhmanov, A.P. Sukhorukov, R. Khokhlov, Self-focusing and diffraction of light in a nonlinear medium, Physics-Uspekhi, 10, (1968).
 
18. T. Oh, et al, Intense terahertz generation in two-color laser filamentation: Energy scaling with terawatt laser systems, New J. Phys. 15, (2013).
Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
Volume 43, Issue 1 - Serial Number 99
January 2022
Pages 126-135

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