Affiliations: [a] Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, Graduate
School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 22-2 Shirane, Shirakata,
Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken, 319-1188 Japan
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Professor M. Uesaka, Nuclear Engineering
Research Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, 22-2
Shirane Shirakata, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken, 319-1188 Japan. Tel.: +81
29 287 8421; Fax: +81 29 287 8488; E-mail: uesaka@tokai.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract: The generation of an ultrashort relativistic electron bunch from a
strong laser-plasma interaction have been studied by particle-in-cell
simulations and observed experimentally. The electron beam was generated from
the plasma created by focusing 12 TW (tera watt) laser pulse at the edge of
helium gas jet expanded into the vacuum from a pulsed supersonic nozzle. The
laser pulse duration was 50~fs (femtosecond). In the interaction of 50 fs, 12
TW laser pulse with plasma of density of 5 × 10^{19}
cm^{-3}, the electron generation was observed in the simulation at the very
beginning of the interaction region. The plasma electrons were gaining higher
energies by the huge longitudinal electric fields (created by the laser pulse)
as they move through the rest of the plasma following the laser pulse. In the
experiment, the electron beam transverse profile and its total charge have been
measured in the forward direction (the same direction of the laser pulse) by
using imaging plate and Faraday-cup, respectively.
