Excitation of ion wakefields by electromagnetic pulses in dense plasmas

The excitation of electrostatic ion wakefields by electromagnetic pulses in a very dense plasma is considered. For this purpose, a wave equation for the ion wakefield in the presence of the ponderomotive force of the electromagnetic waves is obtained. Choosing a typical profile for the electromagnetic pulse, the form of the ion wakefields is deduced. The electromagnetic wave-generated ion wakefields can trap protons and accelerate them to high energies in dense plasmas.