Analysis of the Brunel model and resulting hot electron spectra

Among the various attempts to model collisionless absorption of intense and superintense ultrashort laser pulses, the so-called Brunel mechanism plays an eminent role. A detailed analysis reveals essential aspects of collisionless absorption: Splitting of the electron energy spectrum into two groups under p-polarization, prompt generation of fast electrons during one laser cycle or a fraction of it, insensitivity of absorption with respect to target density well above n(c), robustness, simplicity, and logical coherence. Such positive aspects contrast with a non-Maxwellian tail of the hot electrons, too low energy cut off, excessively high fraction of fast electrons, and inefficient absorption at moderate angles of single beam incidence and intensities. Brunel's pioneering idea has been the recognition of the role of the space charges induced by the electron motion perpendicular to the target surface that make irreversibility possible. By setting the electrostatic fields inside the overdense target equal to zero, anharmonic resonance and mixing of layers leading to Maxwellianization are excluded. To what extent the real electron spectra and their scaling on laser intensity are the product of the interplay between Brunel's mechanism and anharmonic resonance is still an open question. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3696034]