Surface plasma wave excitation via laser irradiated overdense plasma foil

A laser irradiated overdense plasma foil is seen to be susceptible to parametric excitation of surface plasma wave (SPW) and ion acoustic wave (IAW) on the ion plasma period time scale. The SPW is localised near the front surface of the foil while IAW extends upto the rear. The evanescent laser field and the SPW exert a ponderomotive force on electrons driving the IAW. The density perturbation associated with the latter beats with the laser induced oscillatory electron velocity to drive the SPW. At relativistic laser intensity, the growth rate is of the order of ion plasma frequency. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3703592]