Effects of prepulse on hot electron emission from mesoscopic particles

Abstract

Abstract In this paper we make an attempt to study the effect of a nanosecond prepulse on electron acceleration from microscopic solid particles. While standard scaling laws predict temperatures of ∼ 50 keV, our investigations showed an anomalous enhancement ( ∼ 200 keV) in electron temperatures from microscopic solids subjected to intense laser fields. Conventional isotropic expansion of the plasma target as a result of pre-pulse interaction is unable to explain the enhancement, prompting an experimental inquiry into the expansion form. Tentacle-like structures emerging from the spherical plasma are detected as an outcome of the pre-pulse interaction, with the region between the tentacles being targeted by the main laser pulse. We resort to PIC simulations to understand and predict the exact plasma condition that exists in this region. In this paper, we study a series of approximate pre-plasma conditions, particle shapes, and electron densities, examining them for their role in electron acceleration from this extended over-critical plasma target.