Resonance absorption in high‐intensity contrast, picosecond laser–plasma interactions

The interaction of high‐intensity contrast, picosecond, 1‐μm laser pulses with solid metal targets is studied with Kα emission from multilayer targets, fast ion blowoff, and other diagnostics. It is found that the characteristics of the interaction are determined by the intensity of the p‐polarized component of the incoming laser field, rather than the total intensity. Consistent with resonance absorption, 20%–30% of the laser energy is deposited into suprathermal electrons that have temperatures from 2–10 keV.