Production of fast ions in laser-heated plasmas

Abstract

The production of fast ions in laser-heated plasmas is shown to result from the large electric fields in the under-dense plasma which control the orbiting motion of super-thermal electrons produced in the processes of laser-energy absorption. The magnitude of the effect also requires that the fast electrons be reflected many times in the corona fields. The prolonged orbiting of the electrons results from the relatively high transparency of the dense plasma to the very energetic super-thermal electrons.