Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dynamics of relativistic laser-produced plasmas

  • Classical and quantum plasmas
  • Published:
Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present a brief overview of physical processes in a plasma under the action of relativistically strong electromagnetic radiation generated by high-power lasers. Attention is focused on nonlinear waves in a laser plasma for the creation of compact electron accelerators. Then, we address the acceleration of plasma bunches by the radiation pressure of light, which is the most efficient regime of ion acceleration. Coherent hard electromagnetic radiation in the relativistic plasma is generated in the form of high harmonics and/or electromagnetic pulses, which are compressed and intensified after reflection from relativistic mirrors created by nonlinear plasma waves. These processes are of interest in view of the development of novel methods for acceleration of charged particles and the development of sources of bright and hard electromagnetic radiation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Akhiezer AI, Polovin RV (1956) Theory of wave motion of an electron plasma. Sov Phys JETP 30:915

    Google Scholar 

  • Askar'yan GA (1962) Effects of gradient of a strong electromagnetic beam on electrons and atoms. Sov Phys JETP 15:1088

    Google Scholar 

  • Askar'yan GA, Bulanov SV, Pegoraro F, Pukhov AM (1994) Magnetic interaction of self-focusing channels and the electromagnetic radiation: their merging and energy accumulation. JETP Lett 60:251

    Google Scholar 

  • Askar'yan GA, Bulanov SV, Pegoraro F, Pukhov AM (1995) Magnetic interaction of self-focused channels and magnetic wake excitation in high intense laser pulses. Comments Plasma Phys Control Fusion 17:35

    Google Scholar 

  • Atzeni S, Meyer-ter-Vehn J (2004) The physics of inertial fusion: beam plasma interaction hydrodynamics, hot dense mater. Oxford University, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Berezinskii VS, Bulanov SV, Ginzburg VL, Dogiel VA, Ptuskin VS (1990) Astrophysics of cosmic rays. North Holland Publ. Co., Elsevier Sci. Publ., Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Borghesi M, Bulanov S, Campbell DH, Clarke RJ, Esirkepov TZ, Galimberti M, Gizzi L, MacKinnon AJ, Naumova NM, Pegoraro F, Ruhl H, Schiavi A, Willi O (2002) Macroscopic evidence of soliton formation in multi-terawatt laser plasma interaction. Phys Rev Lett 88:135002

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Borghesi M, Fuchs J, Bulanov SV, Mackinnon AJ, Patel P, Roth M (2006) Fast ions generation by high intensity laser-irradiation of foils and applications. Fusion Sci Technol 49:412

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV (2017) Magnetic reconnection: from MHD to QED. Plasma Phys Control Fusion 59:014029

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Inovenkov IN, Kirsanov VI, Naumova NM, Sakharov AS (1992) Ultra-fast depletion of ultra-short and relativistically strong laser pulses in an underdense plasma. Phys Fluids B 4:1935

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Naumova NM, Pegoraro F (1994) Interaction of ultra-short relativistically strong laser pulse with overdense plasmas. Phys Plasmas 1:745

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Lontano M, Esirkepov TZ, Pegoraro F, Pukhov AM (1996) Electron vortices produced by ultra-intense laser pulses. Phys Rev Lett 76:3562

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Lontano M, Pegoraro F (1997) Stability of vortex streets and vortex rows in the framework of the Hasegawa–Mima equation. Plasma Phys Rep 23:660

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Naumova NM, Pegoraro F, Sakai J-I (1998) Particle injection into the acceleration phase of the wake field behind the laser pulse. Phys Rev E 58:5257

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Naumova NM, Pegoraro F, Vshivkov VA (1999) Soliton-like electromagnetic waves left behind in a plasma after a super intense laser pulse. Phys Rev Lett 82:3440

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Califano F, Dudnikova GI, Esirkepov TZ, Inovenkov IN, Kamenets FF, Liseikina TV, Lontano M, Mima K, Naumova NM, Nishihara K, Pegoraro F, Ruhl H, Sakharov AS, Sentoku Y, Vshivkov VA, Zhakhovskii VV (2001) Relativistic interaction of laser pulses with plasmas. In: Shafranov VD (ed) Reviews of plasma physics, vol 22. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York, p 227

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov T, Tajima T (2003) Light intensification towards the Schwinger limit. Phys Rev Lett 91:085001

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Habs D, Pegoraro F, Tajima T (2009) Relativistic laser-matter interaction and relativistic laboratory astrophysics. Eur Phys J D 55:483

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Echkina EYu, Esirkepov TZ, Inovenkov IN, Kando M, Pegoraro F, Korn G (2010) Unlimited ion acceleration by the radiation pressure. Phys Rev Lett 104:135003

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Kando M, Pirozhkov AS, Rosanov NN (2013) Relativistic mirrors in plasmas–novel results and perspectives. Phys Uspekhi 56:429

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Wilkens J, Molls M, Esirkepov TZ, Korn G, Kraft G, Kraft S, Khoroshkov VS (2014) Laser ion acceleration for hadron therapy. Phys Uspekhi 57:1149

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Kando M, Koga J, Kondo K, Korn G (2015) On the problems of relativistic laboratory astrophysics and fundamental physics with super powerful lasers. Plasma Phys Rep 41:1

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Hayashi Y, Kiriyama H, Koga JK, Kotaki H, Mori M, Kando M (2016a) On some theoretical problems of laser wake-field accelerators. J. Plasma Phys 82:905820308

    Google Scholar 

  • Bulanov SS, Esarey E, Schroeder CB, Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Kando M, Pegoraro F, Leemans WP (2016b) Radiation pressure acceleration: the factors limiting maximum attainable ion energy. Phys Plasmas 23:056703

    Google Scholar 

  • Corde S, Phuoc KT, Lambert G, Fitour R, Malka V, Rousse A, Beck A, Lefebvre E (2013) Femtosecond X rays from laser-plasma accelerators. Rev Mod Phys 85:1

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Daido H, Nishiuchi M, Pirozhkov AS (2012) Review of laser-driven ion sources and their applications. Rep Prog Phys 75:056401

    Google Scholar 

  • Danson C, Hillier D, Hopps N, Neely D (2015) Petawatt class lasers worldwide. High Power Laser Sci Eng 3:e3

    Google Scholar 

  • Esarey E, Schroeder CB, Leemans WP (2009) Physics of laser-driven plasma-based electron accelerators. Rev Mod Phys 81:1229

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Esirkepov TZ, Kamenets FF, Bulanov SV, Naumova NM (1998) Low frequency relativistic solitons in laser plasmas. JETP Lett 68:36

    Google Scholar 

  • Esirkepov T, Bulanov SV, Nishihara K, Tajima T (2004a) Soliton synchrotron afterglow in a laser plasma. Phys Rev Lett 92:255001

    Google Scholar 

  • Esirkepov T, Borghesi M, Bulanov SV, Mourou G, Tajima T (2004b) Highly efficient relativistic-ion generation in the laser-piston regime. Phys Rev Lett 92:175003

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Esirkepov TZ, Kato Y, Bulanov SV (2008) Bow wave from ultra-intense electromagnetic pulses in plasmas. Phys Rev Lett 101:265001

    Google Scholar 

  • Farina D, Bulanov SV (2001a) Dark solitons in electron–positron plasmas. Phys Rev E 64:066401

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farina D, Bulanov SV (2001b) Relativistic electromagnetic solitons in the electron-ion plasma. Phys Rev Lett 86:5289

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gong Z, Hu RH, Shou YR, Qiao B, Chen CE, He XT, Bulanov SS, Esirkepov TZ, Bulanov SV, Yan XQ (2017) High-efficiency gamma-ray flash generation via multiple-laser scattering in ponderomotive potential well. Phys Rev E 95:013210

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gu YJ, Klimo O, Kumar D, Liu Y, Singh SK, Esirkepov TZ, Bulanov SV, Weber S, Korn G (2016a) Fast magnetic-field annihilation in the relativistic collisionless regime driven by two ultrashort high-intensity laser pulses. Phys Rev E 93:103203

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu YJ, Yu Q, Klimo O, Esirkepov TZ, Bulanov SV, Weber S, Korn G (2016b) Fast magnetic energy dissipation in relativistic plasma induced by high order laser modes. High Power Laser Sci Eng 4:e19

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu YJ, Bulanov SS, Korn G, Bulanov SV (2018a) Splitter target for controlling magnetic reconnection in relativistic laser plasma interactions. Plasma Phys Control Fusion 60:044020

    Google Scholar 

  • Gu Y-J, Klimo O, Bulanov SV, Weber S (2018b) Brilliant gamma-ray beam and electron–positron pair production by enhanced attosecond pulses. Commun Phys 1:93

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Higginson A, Gray RJ, King M et al (2018) Near-100 MeV protons via a laser-driven transparency-enhanced hybrid acceleration scheme. Nat Commun 9:724

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kando M, Fukuda Y, Pirozhkov AS, Ma J, Daito I, Chen L-M, Esirkepov TZ, Ogura K, Homma T, Hayashi Y, Kotaki H, Sagisaka A, Mori M, Koga JK, Daido H, Bulanov SV, Kimura T, Kato Y, Tajima T (2007) Demonstration of Laser-frequency upshift by electron-density modulations in a plasma wakefield. Phys Rev Lett 99:135001

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kando M, Pirozhkov AS, Kawase K, Esirkepov TZ, Fukuda Y, Kiriyama H, Okada H, Daito I, Kameshima T, Hayashi Y, Kotaki H, Mori M, Koga JK, Daido H, Faenov A Ya, Pikuz T, Ma J, Chen L-M, Ragozin EN, Kawachi T, Kato Y, Tajima T, Bulanov SV (2009) Enhancement of photon number reflected by the relativistic flying mirror. Phys Rev Lett 103:235003

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Korzhimanov AV, Gonoskov AA, Khazanov EA, Sergeev AM (2011) Horizons of petawatt laser technology. Phys Uspekhi 54:9

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlov VA, Litvak AG, Suvorov EV (1979) Envelope solitons of relativistic strong electromagnetic waves. Sov Phys JETP 49:75

    Google Scholar 

  • Leemans WP, Gonsalves AJ, Mao H-S, Nakamura K, Benedetti C, Schroeder CB, Tóth C, Daniels J, Mittelberger DE, Bulanov SS, Vay J-L, Geddes CGR, Esarey E (2014) Multi-GeV electron beams from capillary-discharge-guided subpetawatt laser pulses in the self-trapping regime. Phys Rev Lett 113:245002

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lezhnin KV, Sasorov PV, Korn G, Bulanov SV (2018) High power gamma flare generation in multi-petawatt laser interaction with tailored targets. Phys Plasmas 25:123105

    Google Scholar 

  • Lezhnin KV, Kamenets FF, Esirkepov TZ, Bulanov SV (2018) On annihilation of the relativistic electron vortex pair in collisionless plasmas. J Plasma Phys 84:905840610

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Macchi A, Borghesi M, Passoni M (2013) Ion acceleration by superintense laser-plasma interaction. Rev Mod Phys 85:751

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marburger JH, Tooper RF (1975) Nonlinear optical standing waves in overdense plasmas. Phys Rev Lett 35:1001

    Google Scholar 

  • Modena A, Najmudin Z, Dangor AE, Clayton CE, Marsh KA, Joshi C, Malka V, Darrow CB, Danson C, Neely D, Walsh FN (1995) Electron acceleration from the breaking of relativistic plasma waves. Nature 377:606

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mourou G, Tajima T, Bulanov SV (2006) Optics in the relativistic regime. Rev Mod Phys 78:309

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mourou GA, Korn G, Sandner W, Collier JL (eds) (2011) ELI-extreme light infrastructure: science and technology with ultra-intense lasers WHITEBOOK. THOSS Media, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura T, Koga JK, Esirkepov TZ, Kando M, Korn G, Bulanov SV (2012) High power gamma-ray flash generation in the ultra intense laser-plasma interaction. Phys Rev Lett 108:195001

    Google Scholar 

  • Naumova NM, Bulanov SV, Esirkepov TZ, Farina D, Nishihara K, Pegoraro F, Sakharov AS (2001) Formation of electromagnetic post-solitons in plasmas. Phys Rev Lett 87:185004

    Google Scholar 

  • Pegoraro F, Bulanov SV (2007) Photon bubbles and ion acceleration in a plasma dominated by the radiation pressure of an electromagnetic pulse. Phys Rev Lett 99:065002

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pirozhkov S, Kando M, Esirkepov TZ, Gallegos P, Ahmed H, Ragozin EN, Faenov A Ya, Pikuz TA, Kawachi T, Sagisaka A, Koga JK, Coury M, Green J, Foster P, Brenner C, Dromey B, Symes DR, Mori M, Kawase K, Kameshima T, Fukuda Y, Chen L-M, Daito I, Ogura K, Hayashi Y, Kotaki H, Kiriyama H, Okada H, Nishimori N, Imazono T, Kondo K, Kimura T, Tajima T, Daido H, Rajeev P, McKenna P, Borghesi M, Neely D, Kato Y, Bulanov SV (2012) Soft-X-ray harmonic comb from relativistic electron spikes. Phys Rev Lett 108:135004

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pirozhkov S, Esirkepov TZ, Pikuz TA, Faenov A Ya, Ogura K, Hayashi Y, Kotaki H, Ragozin EN, Neely D, Kiriyama H, Koga JK, Fukuda Y, Sagisaka A, Nishikino M, Imazono T, Hasegawa N, Kawachi T, Bolton PR, Daido H, Kato Y, Kondo K, Bulanov SV, Kando M (2017) Burst intensification by singularity emitting radiation in multi-stream flows. Sci Rep 7:17968

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romagnani L, Bigongiari A, Kar S, Bulanov SV, Cecchetti CA, Galimberti M, Esirkepov TZ, Jung R, Liseykina TV, Macchi A, Osterholz J, Pegoraro F, Willi O, Borghesi M (2010) Experimental observation of organized magnetic vortices in laser-plasma channels. Phys Rev Lett 105:175002

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roth M, Cowan TE, Key MH, Hatchett SP, Brown C, Fountain W, Johnson J, Pennington DM, Snavely RA, Wilks SC, Yatsuike K, Ruhl H, Pegoraro F, Bulanov SV, Campbell EM, Perry MD, Powell H (2001) Fast ignition by intense laser accelerated proton beams. Phys Rev Lett 86:436

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sentoku Y, Esirkepov TZ, Mima K, Nishihara K, Califano F, Pegoraro F, Sakagami H, Kitagawa Y, Naumova NM, Bulanov SV (1999) Bursts of super reflected laser light from inhomogeneous plasmas due to the generation of relativistic solitary waves. Phys Rev Lett 83:3434

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strickland D, Mourou G (1986) Compression of amplified chirped optical pulses. Opt Commun 56:212

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabak M, Hammer J, Glinsky ME, Kruer WL, Wilks SC, Woodworth J, Campbell M, Perry MD, Mason RJ (1994) Ignition and high gain with ultrapowerful lasers. Phys Plasmas 1:1626

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tajima T, Dawson JM (1979) Laser electron accelerator. Phys Rev Lett 43:267

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Teubner U, Gibbon P (2009) High-order harmonics from laser-irradiated plasma surfaces. Rev Mod Phys 81:445

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zou JP, Le Blanc C, Papadopoulos D, Cheriaux G, Georges P, Mennerat G, Amiranoff F (2015) Design and current progress of the Apollon 10 PW project. High Power Laser Sci Eng 3:e2

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the Fondazione Guido Donegani for their kind hospitality during the International conference\Classical and quantum plasmas: matter under extreme conditions (Rome, Palazzo Corsini April 5–6, 2018). At the ELI-BL, the work was supported by the project “High Field Initiative” (no. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449) from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czech Republic and European Regional Development Fund.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics ASCR, v.v.i. (FZU), ELI-Beamlines Project, Prague, Czech Republic

    Sergei V. Bulanov

  2. National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), Kansai Photon Science Institute, Kizugawa, Kyoto, Japan

    Sergei V. Bulanov

  3. Prokhorov Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Sergei V. Bulanov

Authors
  1. Sergei V. Bulanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sergei V. Bulanov.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This contribution is the written, peer-reviewed version of a paper presented at the Conference “Classical and quantum plasmas: matter under extreme conditions” held at Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome on April 5–6, 2018.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bulanov, S.V. Dynamics of relativistic laser-produced plasmas. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 30, 5–9 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-019-00787-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-019-00787-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation