Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses
Published on: July 2, 2012
Evidence of relativistic laser beam filamentation in back-reflected images
1Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Yamada-oka 2-6, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Abstract:
The back-reflected image of a 100 TW laser incident on a long scale length plasma is measured. The plasma is deliberately preformed on a solid planar target in a controlled way. Multiple highly intense spots are observed inside the original focal spot. These spots could be the experimental evidence for the laser beam relativistic filamentation in the plasma. Three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations for parameters close to the experimental values are performed. The experimental observations and the filamentation dynamics obtained in the PIC simulations are in a good agreement.
Related Concept Videos
The Wave Nature of Light
Space-Time Curvature and the General Theory of Relativity
This has been verified in many experiments. However, space and time are no longer absolute. Two observers moving relative to one another do not agree on the length of objects or the passage of time. The mechanics of objects based on Newton's laws of motion,...

