A fast electron beam along a target surface irradiated by intense laser pulses

A fast electron beam emitted along a target surface irradiated by intense laser pulses has been observed. The beam is found to appear only when the plasma density scale length is small. Numerical simulations reveal that the electron beam is formed due to the confinement of the quasistatic electromagnetic fields in the surface. The results are of interest for potential applications of fast electron beams and a deeper understanding of the cone-target physics in fast ignition related experiments.