Modeling of two-dimensional effects in hot spot relaxation in laser-produced plasmas

Two-dimensional numerical simulations of plasma heating and temperature hot spots relaxation are presented in the domain where the diffusive approximation for heat transport fails. Under relevant conditions for laser plasma interactions, the effects of the nonlocality of heat transport on the plasma response are studied comparing the Spitzer–Harm model with several frequently used nonlocal models. The importance of using a high-order numerical scheme to correctly model nonlocal effects is discussed. A significant increase of the temperature relaxation time due to nonlocal heat transport is observed, accompanied by enhanced density perturbations. Applications to plasma-induced smoothing of laser beams are considered.