Willingale, L. and Nilson, P. M. and Zulick, C. and Chen, H. and Craxton, R. S. and Cobble, J. and Maksimchuk, A. and Norreys, P. A. and Sangster, T. C. and Scott, R. H. H. and Stoeckl, C. (2016) Relativistic intensity laser interactions with low-density plasmas. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 688 (1). ISSN 1742-6588
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
We perform relativistic-intensity laser experiments using the Omega EP laser to investigate channeling phenomena and particle acceleration in underdense plasmas. A fundamental understanding of these processes is of importance to the hole-boring fast ignition scheme for inertial confinement fusion. Proton probing was used to image the electromagnetic fields formed as the Omega EP laser pulse generated a channel through underdense plasma. Filamentation of the channel was observed, followed by self-correction into a single channel. The channel radius as a function of time was found to be in reasonable agreement with momentum conserving snowplough models.