Direct Measurement of the Electron Density of Extended Femtosecond Laser Pulse-Induced Filaments
Abstract
We present direct time- and space-resolved measurements of the electron density of femtosecond laser pulse-induced plasma filaments. The dominant nonlinearity responsible for extended atmospheric filaments is shown to be field-induced rotation of air molecules.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- November 2010
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1008.1642
- Bibcode:
- 2010PhRvL.105u5005C
- Keywords:
-
- 52.38.Hb;
- 37.10.Vz;
- 42.65.Jx;
- Self-focussing channeling and filamentation in plasmas;
- Mechanical effects of light on atoms molecules and ions;
- Beam trapping self-focusing and defocusing;
- self-phase modulation;
- Physics - Plasma Physics;
- Physics - Atomic Physics
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, 5 figures