Fundamental difference between picosecond and nanosecond laser interaction with plasmas: Ultrahigh plasma block acceleration links with electron collective ion acceleration of ultra-thin foils

Arguments are discussed on how ion energy measurements from ultra-thin diamond irradiation with 45 fs laser pulses of 26 terawatt power may be related to the ultra-high acceleration of plasma blocks where the significance of the highly efficient direct conversion of laser radiation into mechanical motion of ions or plasma blocks is dominated by nonlinear (ponderomotive) forces in fundamental contrast to thermo-kinetic dominated interaction with ns laser pulses.