Angular distributions of fast electrons, ions, and Bremsstrahlung x/gamma-rays in intense laser interaction with solid targets

Phys Rev Lett. 2000 Dec 18;85(25):5340-3. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.5340.

Abstract

We study the angular distributions of fast electrons, ions, and bremsstrahlung x/ gamma-rays generated during the interaction of an ultrashort intense laser pulse with solid targets. A relation is found on the angular directions for fast electrons and ions as a function of the particle's kinetic energy, experienced Coulomb potential changes, and the incident angle of the laser pulse. It is valid independent of the acceleration mechanisms and the polarization of the laser pulse, as confirmed by particle-in-cell simulations. The angular distribution of bremsstrahlung x/gamma-rays is presented to show explicitly its correlation with the corresponding angular distributions of electrons.