Particle-in-cell simulations of ponderomotive particle acceleration in a plasma

In previous publications [C.J. McKinstrie and E.A. Startsev, Phys. Rev. E 54, R1070 (1996); 56, 2130 (1997)] the ponderomotive acceleration of electrons by an idealized (one-dimensional) circularly polarized laser pulse in a plasma was studied analytically. Acceleration gradients of order 100 GeV/m were predicted. To verify the predictions of the theoretical model, a two-dimensional relativistic particle-in-cell code was developed. Simulations of the interaction of a preaccelerated. electron bunch with a realistic (two-dimensional) laser pulse in a plasma are presented and analyzed. The simulation results validate the theoretical model and show that significant ponderomotive acceleration is possible. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.