Scattered light diagnostics of overdense plasma cavity in solid targets irradiated by an ultraintense laser pulse.

The light scattered backward from a target illuminated by ultraintense laser pulses carries important information about the nonlinear laser-plasma interaction. We analyze the usefulness of this information by plasma corona analysis with the help of an analytical model we developed, and particle-in-cell simulation. The spectrum of scattered light is shown to be shifted, to be broadened, and to be modulated, in comparison with the initial laser spectrum, and the spectral shift is an indicator of laser pulse contrast ratio.