Bursts of superreflected laser light from inhomogeneous plasmas due to thegeneration of relativistic solitary waves

In an inhomogeneous plasma, low-frequency solitary waves, generated by supe rintense laser pulses, are accelerated towards the plasma-vacuum interface where they radiate their energy in the form of low-frequency electromagneti c bursts. The transverse inhomogeneity of the plasma inside the self-focusi ng radiation channel leads to guiding of the solitary waves. These solitary waves excite a two-ribbon magnetic field structure in their wake. These ph enomena have been studied with two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and are expected to be observed in present-day laser-plasma experiments.