Quasistatic Magnetic Field Generation by an Intense Ultrashort Laser Pulse in Underdense Plasma

The quasistatic magnetic field created in the interaction of intense ultrashort laser pulses with underdense plasmas has been investigated by two-dimensional particle simulation. The relativistic ponderomotive force and plasma wave excited in self-modulation processes can drive intense electron current mainly in the propagation direction. As a result, an azimuthal, multi-mega Gauss order quasi-static magnetic field can be generated around the laser beam.