Propagation of Gaussian X-ray laser beam is presented in collisional quantum plasma and the beam width oscillation is studied along the propagation direction. It is noticed that due to energy absorption in collisional plasma, the laser energy drops to an amount less than the critical value of the self-focusing effect and consequently, the laser beam defocuses. It is found that the oscillation amplitude of the laser spot size enhances while passing through collisional plasma. For the greater values of collision frequency, the beam width oscillates with higher amplitude and defocuses in a shallower plasma depth. Also, it is realized that in a dense plasma environment, the laser self-focusing occurs earlier with the higher oscillation amplitude, smaller laser spot size and more oscillations.

Interaction of a linearly polarized Gaussian laser pulse (at relativistic intensity of 2.0 × 1020 Wcm−2) with a multi-layer foam (as a near critical density target) attached to a solid layer is investigated by using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. It is found that electrons with longitudinal momentum exceeding the free electrons limit of meca02/2 so-called super-hot electrons can be produced when the direct laser acceleration regime is fulfilled and benefited from self-focusing inside of the subcritical plasma. These electrons penetrate easily through the target and can enhance greatly the sheath field at the rear, resulting in a significant increase in the maximum energy of protons in target normal sheath acceleration regime. The results indicate that the maximum proton energy is enhanced by 2.7 times via using an assembled target arrangement compared to a bare solid target. Furthermore, by demonstration of this assembly, the maximum proton energy is improved beyond the optimum amount achieved by a two-layer target proposed by Sgattoni et al. (2012).

Here we report on the production of highly directed ion blocks by plasma interaction of ultraviolet wavelength light produced from a KrF laser. This may support the requirement to produce a fast ignition deuterium-tritium fusion at densities not much higher than the solid state by a single shot petawatt-picoseconds ultraviolet laser pulse. Using double Rayleigh initial density profiles, we are studying numerically how the nonlinear force necessary to accelerate plasma blocks may reach the highest possible thickness. Propagation of plasma blocks and the volumetric hot electrons can be shown in detail. Results of computations for wavelengths of two lasers are compared, which show that the block current density for a KrF laser is approximately four times bigger than for the Nd-glass lasers. This is in good agreement with the number predicted by theory.

Measurement of extremely new phenomena during the interaction of laser pulses with terawatt and higher power and picoseconds with plasmas arrived at drastically different anomalies in contrast to the usual observations if the laser pulses were very clean with a contrast ratio higher than 108. This was guaranteed by the suppression of prepulses during less than dozens of ps before the arrival of the main pulse resulting in the suppression of relativistic self-focusing. This anomaly was confirmed in many experimental details, and explained and numerically reproduced as a nonlinear force acceleration of skin layers generating quasi-neutral plasma blocks with ion current densities above 1011 A/cm2. This may support the requirement to produce a fast ignition deuterium tritium fusion at densities not much higher than the solid state by a single shot PW-ps laser pulse. With the aim to achieve separately studied ignition conditions, we are studying numerically how the necessary nonlinear force accelerated plasma blocks may reach the highest possible thickness by using optimized dielectric properties of the irradiated plasma. The use of double Rayleigh initial density profiles results in many wavelength thick low reflectivity directed plasma blocks of modest temperatures. Results of computations with the genuine two-fluid model are presented.