Radiation pressure acceleration of corrugated thin foils by Gaussian and super-Gaussian beams

Rayleigh-Taylor instability of radiation pressure accelerated ultrathin foils by laser having Gaussian and super-Gaussian intensity distribution is investigated using a single fluid code. The foil is allowed to have ring shaped surface ripples. The radiation pressure force on such a foil is non-uniform with finite transverse component F-r; F-r varies periodically with r. Subsequently, the ripple grows as the foil moves ahead along z. With a Gaussian beam, the foil acquires an overall curvature due to non-uniformity in radiation pressure and gets thinner. In the process, the ripple perturbation is considerably washed off. With super-Gaussian beam, the ripple is found to be more strongly washed out. In order to avoid transmission of the laser through the thinning foil, a criterion on the foil thickness is obtained. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3671957]