Simulations of High Intensity Short Pulse Lasers Incident on Reduced Mass Targets Using LSP*

We present the results of a series of fully kinetic 2D simulations using the PIC code LSP for the study of the heating and deformation of reduced mass targets. These simulations model a full scale laser pulse incident on full scale targets as a function of intensity, spot size, pre-plasma, and target lateral extent and thickness. We observe that the target deformation and heating has a strong dependence on intensity of the laser pulse and creation of a shock in the target. We also include a comparison of 2D and 3D kinetic runs that allows us to compare temperatures.