Plasmas and intense laser light

Abstract

Plasmas produced by very high intensity laser light display a variety of interesting phenomena characteristic of the high intensity regime, ranging from anomalously high energy X-rays, electrons and ions to severe density perturbations and the generation of magnetic fields at the megagauss level. The present article begins with a description of the laser technology required to reach the high irradiances of interest and provides a brief outline of the more important diagnostic techniques used in investigating the plasmas. An introduction to plasma waves is given and the linear and nonlinear excitation of waves is discussed. The remainder of the article describes some of the experimental evidence supporting the interpretation of the plasma behaviour at high laser-light intensities in terms of the excitation of plasma waves and the subsequent heating of the plasma by these waves.