High-energy-density electron beam generation in ultra intense laser-plasma interaction

By using a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation, we demonstrate a scheme for high-energy-density electron beam generation by irradiating an ultra intense laser pulse onto an aluminum (Al) target. With the laser having a peak intensity of 4 × 10²³ W cm⁻², a high quality electron beam with a maximum density of 117 n _c and a kinetic energy density up to 8.79 × 10¹⁸ J m⁻³ is generated. The temperature of the electron beam can be 416 MeV, and the beam divergence is only 7.25°. As the laser peak intensity increases (e.g., 10²⁴ W cm⁻²), both the beam energy density (3.56 × 10¹⁹ J m⁻³) and the temperature (545 MeV) are increased, and the beam collimation is well controlled. The maximum density of the electron beam can even reach 180 n _c. Such beams should have potential applications in the areas of antiparticle generation, laboratory astrophysics, etc. (paper)