On ionization dynamics of metal targets irradiated by high-contrast relativistic-intense laser pulses

We perform simulation of irradiation of metal targets by high-contrast relativistic-intense laser pulses. The results of modeling show that the locally equilibrium mean charge of ions calculated with the aid of the Thomas-Fermi model is in good agreement with the model that considers time dependable collisional-radiative population kinetics of ground and excited states of ionized atoms. The main reason for this is a high density of plasma free electrons in the case of interaction of the high-contrast laser pulse with a step-like plasma density profile.