Simulation for Interaction of Linearly Polarized RelativisticLaser Pulses with Foil Targets

One-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation is presented for the interaction of ultrashort, linearly polarized intense laser pulses with thin foil targets. The results indicate that the strong competition between electromagnetic and electrostatic ponderomotive forces produced, respectively, by the laser and the electrostatic fields leads to novel behaviours of target-electrons. It shows that the interaction is dominated by the 2ω (ω is laser frequency) component of the electrostatic ponderomotive force as well as that of the electromagnetic ponderomotive force.