Ion dynamics and coherent structure formation following laser pulse self-channeling

TL;DR

This study uses 2D particle-in-cell simulations to investigate ion dynamics and the formation of coherent structures following laser pulse self-channeling in underdense plasma, revealing complex field patterns and filamentation effects.

Contribution

It provides new insights into ion acceleration, channel wall breaking, and the emergence of soliton- and vortex-like structures post laser self-channeling.

Findings

Radial ion acceleration causes plasma channel wall breaking.

Long-lived quasi-periodic field structures form inside the plasma.

Electric and magnetic field patterns resemble soliton- and vortex-like structures.

Abstract

The propagation of a superintense laser pulse in an underdense, inhomogeneous plasma has been studied numerically by two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations on a time scale extending up to several picoseconds. The effects of the ion dynamics following the charge-displacement self-channeling of the laser pulse have been addressed. Radial ion acceleration leads to the ``breaking'' of the plasma channel walls, causing an inversion of the radial space-charge field and the filamentation of the laser pulse. At later times a number of long-lived, quasi-periodic field structures are observed and their dynamics is characterized with high resolution. Inside the plasma channel, a pattern of electric and magnetic fields resembling both soliton- and vortex-like structures is observed.