Abstract. With high-contrast light pulses of 200-fs duration focused to intensities of 1018W/cm2, strongly coupled plasmas at solid state density and temperatures of a few 100eV can be generated. These plasmas are similar to those currently achievable only in indirectly imploded gas-filled microspheres during stagnation. The table-top size and high-repetition rate of the lasers producing these ultra-short pulses provided in our case by the 2-TW facility ATLAS allow to systematically investigate the basic features of these plasmas. First the mechanism of the dense-plasma generation is discussed. This is based on hydrocode and PIC simulations as well as on measurements of light absorption and the energy transport into the target. We then present spectrally and time-resolved measurements of the K-shell emission from aluminum targets. By fitting synthetic spectra obtained from code simulations to the experimental ones, it can be inferred that the plasma has an electron density of 1024/cm3 and a temperature of 300eV. In the fast-ignitor concept, a laser-generated electron jet is expected to ignite the central spot of the compressed target. Using ATLAS pulses focused to on-target intensities of 1018 - 1019W/cm2, we investigate the e-beam generation mechanism in preformed under-dense plasmas. A new fast-electron acceleration mechanism is identified.
IAEA 2001