Abstract
We describe the results of a numerical code which models the relativistic selffocussing of high-intensity laser beams in plasmas by the nonlinear relativistic dependence of the optical constants on laser intensity. The plasma dynamics of 1013 W Nd glass lasers of 30 μm initial beam diameter in nearly cut-off density plasmas is followed for a few picoseconds interaction time and 25 μm depth into the plasma. Rapid relativistic selffocussing down to a beam diameter of one micron in a distance of the order of the original beam diameter is observed, as well as the production of GeV ions moving against the laser light.
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