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Published on: January 28, 2021
Lateral electron transport in high-intensity laser-irradiated foils diagnosed by ion emission
P McKenna1, D C Carroll, R J Clarke
1SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
An experimental investigation of lateral electron transport in thin metallic foil targets irradiated by ultraintense (>or=10(19) W/cm2) laser pulses is reported. Two-dimensional spatially resolved ion emission measurements are used to quantify electric-field generation resulting from electron transport. The measurement of large electric fields ( approximately 0.1 TV/m) millimeters from the laser focus reveals that lateral energy transport continues long after the laser pulse has decayed. Numerical simulations confirm a very strong enhancement of electron density and electric field at the edges of the target.

