WEIBEL INSTABILITY IN PLASMA PRODUCED BY A SUPER-INTENSE FEMTOSECOND LASER PULSE
Krainov V.P.

Received: October 24, 2002

PACS: 36.40.Gk, 36.40.Vz

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The Weibel instability increment is analytically derived for plasma produced at the barrier-suppression ionization of atoms and atomic ions by a super-intense femtosecond laser pulse. The cases of linear and circular polarization are considered. Relativistic effects are discussed. It is found that the instability increment is larger for the circular polarization than for the linear polarization. This increment can attain the plasma frequency. Barrier-suppression ionization diminishes the increment compared with the case of tunneling ionization. Relativistic effects also decrease the value of the increment. Estimates of the produced maximum quasistatic magnetic field are given.