Influence of ion mass on laser-energy absorption and synchrotron radiation at ultrahigh laser intensities
R. Capdessus, E. d’Humières, and V. T. Tikhonchuk
Accepted
The role of ions in the energy absorption of a short and ultra-intense laser pulse and in the synchrotron radiation generated by accelerated electrons is revisited. For laser intensities above 1022 W/cm2 and plasma densities more than ten times the critical density the ion-to-electron mass ratio affects strongly the energy repartition between the electrons, ions and radiation. This phenomenon is studied with one-dimensional relativistic particle-in-cell code taking into account the radiation reaction force. The choice of the ion mass strongly affects the energy and angular distribution of the photon emission and the electron energy distribution. This effect may be important for laboratory modeling of radiation dominated relativistic astrophysical events. It can be verified in experiments with solid hydrogen targets.