Mechanisms of ionization for gas adjoining to plasma in intense laser beam

摘要

In intense laser beams, the gas-plasma boundary turns into supersonic front of gas ionization. Front transport may be caused by shock wave, by plasma radiation, or by electron avalanche in the laser beam. Calculations show that four supersonic regimes of ionizing wave motion are possible. The properties of produced plasma depend on the regime. It makes it possible to create the plasma with definite properties for various applications.