Exploring field ionization effects on laser-target interaction simulations using VPIC*

X-ray radiography using a high-power short-pulse lasers to generate x-rays is of interest as this technology can create a spot <100 microns in size for energies of tens of MeV. The development and design of laser-based radiography systems can be optimized with predictive simulations of which should include laser-target interactions, such as field ionization. We have implemented multiphoton ionization and the Ammosov-Delone-Krainov (ADK) model with the barrier-suppression ionization (BSI) correction into the particle-in-cell code VPIC. This work explores the effects of field ionization on various laser-target interaction simulations and investigates how different implementations of the model affects the results.