• High Power Laser Science and Engineering
  • Vol. 2, Issue 2, 02000e10 (2014)
Andrea Macchi*
Author Affiliations
  • National Institute of Optics, National Research Council (CNR/INO), Research Unit ‘Adriano Gozzini’, Department of Physics ‘Enrico Fermi’, University of Pisa, largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa, Italy
  • show less
    DOI: 10.1017/hpl.2014.13 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Andrea Macchi. Theory of light sail acceleration by intense lasers: an overview[J]. High Power Laser Science and Engineering, 2014, 2(2): 02000e10 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    A short overview of the theory of acceleration of thin foils driven by the radiation pressure of superintense lasers is presented. A simple criterion for radiation pressure dominance at intensities around 5×1020 W cm-2 is given, and the possibility for fast energy gain in the relativistic regime is discussed.
    Andrea Macchi. Theory of light sail acceleration by intense lasers: an overview[J]. High Power Laser Science and Engineering, 2014, 2(2): 02000e10
    Download Citation