PIC simulation of the transverse wave-breaking in laser wake-field

This paper focuses on the influence upon the structure of the wake-field and the production of hot electrons due to a finite-width laser of high intensity and ultra-short duration propagation through an underdense plasma. Under the action of lognitudinal and transverse pondermotive forces, the plasma density forms a horseshoe cavity which acts as a moving convex to make the laser pulse self-focusing. The wake wave front curvature increases with time until a transverse wave breaking occurs which depresses the wave breaking limit of the electrostatic field. The decrease of transverse wave breaking pushes more electrons into the accelerating phase region to be trapped by wake wave and decreases the maximum electronic kinetic energy.