Generation, transport, and focusing of fast electrons in nanofilaments of a target irradiated by a short laser pulse with ultrarelativistic intensity

Absorption of an intense short laser pulse by targets consisting of a bungle of carbon nanofilaments either parallel or converging to the vertex of a cone has been numerically simulated. Such targets efficiently generate a flux of relativistic electrons propagating along filaments and following their bends. The focusing of fluxes from several filaments to one flux makes it possible to reduce the transverse size of an electron bunch as compared to the diameter of the laser beam. The energy flux density of electrons in such a bunch propagating along one nanofilament is several times higher than the energy flux density of the laser pulse.