Polarization, hosing and long time evolution of relativistic laser pulses

The effect of the pulse polarization and of the accelerated fast electrons on the propagation anomalies ("hosing" and "snaking") of a high-intensity laser pulse in an underdense plasma is investigated with two dimensional particle in cell simulations. The pulse deflection and the type of plasma modes (solitons, vortices) into which the laser pulse energy is eventually deposited, are shown to depend on the pulse polarization. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics