TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wang, Wei-Min
AU  - Gibbon, P.
AU  - Sheng, Z.-M.
AU  - Li, Y.-T.
AU  - Zhang, J.
TI  - Laser opacity in underdense preplasma of solid targets due to quantum electrodynamics effects
JO  - Physical review / E
VL  - 96
IS  - 1
SN  - 2470-0045
CY  - Woodbury, NY
PB  - Inst.
M1  - FZJ-2017-04561
SP  - 013201
PY  - 2017
AB  - We investigate how next-generation laser pulses at 10–200 PW interact with a solid target in the presence ofa relativistically underdense preplasma produced by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). Laser hole boringand relativistic transparency are strongly restrained due to the generation of electron-positron pairs and γ -rayphotons via quantum electrodynamics (QED) processes. A pair plasma with a density above the initial preplasmadensity is formed, counteracting the electron-free channel produced by hole boring. This pair-dominated plasmacan block laser transport and trigger an avalanchelike QED cascade, efficiently transferring the laser energyto the photons. This renders a 1-μm scale-length, underdense preplasma completely opaque to laser pulses atthis power level. The QED-induced opacity therefore sets much higher contrast requirements for such a pulsein solid-target experiments than expected by classical plasma physics. Our simulations show, for example, thatproton acceleration from the rear of a solid with a preplasma would be strongly impaired.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000405206200026
C6  - pmid:29347155
DO  - DOI:10.1103/PhysRevE.96.013201
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/834657
ER  -