Laser-hole boring into overdense plasmas measured with soft x-ray laser probing

A laser self-focused channel formation into overdense plasmas was observed using a soft x-ray laser probe system with a grid image refractometry (GIR) technique. 1.053 mu m laser light with a 100 ps pulse duration was focused onto a preformed plasma at an intensity of 2 X 10(17) W/cm(2). Cross sections of the channel were obtained which show a 30 mu m diameter in overdense plasmas. The channel width in the overdense region was kept narrow as a result of self-focusing. Conically diverging density ridges were also observed along the channel, indicating a Mach cone created by a shock wave due to the supersonic propagation of the channel front.