3D PIC simulations of electron beams created via reflection of intense laser light from a water target

Abstract

We present 3D Particle-in-Cell (PIC) modeling of an ultra-intense laser experiment by the Extreme Light group at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) using the PIC code LSP. This is the first time PIC simulations have been performed in 3D for this experiment which involves an ultra-intense, short-pulse (30 fs) laser interacting with a water jet target at normal incidence. These 3D PIC simulation results are compared to results from 2D(3$v$) PIC simulations for both $5.4\cdot 10^{17}$ W cm${}^{-2}$ and $3\cdot 10^{17}$ W cm${}^{-2}$ intensities. Comparing the 2D(3$v$) and 3D simulation results, the laser-energy-to-ejected-electron-energy conversion efficiencies were comparable, but the angular distribution of ejected electrons show interesting differences with qualitative differences at higher intensity. An analytic plane-wave model is discussed which provides some explanation for the angular distribution and energies of ejected electrons in the 2D(3$v$) simulations. We also performed a 3D simulation with circularly polarized light and found a significantly higher conversion efficiency and peak electron energy, which is promising for future experiments.

version 3, with a few updates. Submitted to PoP. 10 pages, Comments welcome!

References in corpus (2)

• Backward-Propagating MeV Electrons in Ultra-Intense Laser Interactions: Standing Wave Acceleration and Coupling to the Reflected Laser Pulse
• Backward-propagating MeV electrons from $10^{18}$ W/cm${}^2$ laser interactions with water

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