Inductive plasmas are simulated by using a one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation including Monte Carlo collision techniques (pic/mcc). To model inductive heating, a non-uniform radio-frequency (rf) electric field, perpendicular to the electron motion is included into the classical particle-in-cell scheme. The inductive plasma pic simulation is used to confirm recent experimental results that electric double layers can form in current-free plasmas. These results differ from previous experimental or simulation systems where the double layers are driven by a current or by imposed potential differences. The formation of a super-sonic ion beam, resulting from the ions accelerated through the potential drop of the double layer and predicted by the pic simulation is confirmed with nonperturbative laser-induced fluorescence measurements of ion flow. It is shown that at low pressure, where the electron mean free path is of the order of, or greater than the system length, the electron energy distribution function (eedf) is close to Maxwellian, except for its tail which is depleted at energies higher than the plasma potential. Evidence supporting that this depletion is mostly due to the high-energy electrons escaping to the walls is given. ¶ A new hybrid simulation scheme (particle ions and Boltzmann/particle electrons), accounting for non-Maxwellian eedf and self-consistently simulating low-pressure high-density plasmas at low computational cost is proposed. Results obtained with the “improved” hybrid model are in much better agreement with the full pic simulation than the classical non self-consistent hybrid model. This model is used to simulate electronegative plasmas and to provide evidence supporting the fact that propagating double layers may spontaneously form in electronegative plasmas. It is shown that critical parameters of the simulation were very much aligned with critical parameters of the experiment.

Une impulsion laser intense se propageant dans un plasma sous-dense (ne<<nc) déplace les électrons sur son passage et crée une onde de sillage à même d'accélérer des électrons. Lorsque l'impulsion est très intense (I₀> 10¹⁸ W.cm⁻²) et de durée très courte (τ₀< 100 fs), , on atteint le régime de la bulle. Les champs électriques dans ces bulles, de l’ordre de 100 GV/m, peuvent accélérer un faisceau d’électrons jusqu’au GeV sur des distances de l’ordre du centimètre. Dans ce régime, les électrons expulsés par la force pondéromotrice du laser forment une fine et dense couche à la surface d'une cavité d'ions restés immobiles. Les propriétés de ce régime sont examinées par l’intermédiaire d’un modèle analytique, que nous avons développé en nous inspirant du travail de W. Lu et S. Yi. En nous plaçant dans ce régime prometteur, nous avons étudié les mécanismes d’injection et de piégeage dans l'onde de sillage. Dans l’injection optique, les polarisations parallèles ou circulaires positives conduisent respectivement à une injection mettant en jeu du chauffage stochastique, ou à l’injection froide. Un paramètre de similarité est introduit, celui-ci permet de déterminer la méthode d’injection la plus appropriée pour maximiser la charge injectée. Enfin, le modèle analytique présenté en première partie est étendu afin d’étudier l’onde de sillage dans le régime de la bulle lorsqu’un champ magnétique longitudinal initial est appliqué au plasma. Lorsque le plasma est magnétisé deux phénomènes remarquables se manifestent, d'une part une ouverture apparaît à l'arrière de la bulle et d'autre part un mécanisme d'amplification du champ magnétique longitudinale est induit par la variation du flux magnétique. Les prédictions de notre modèle analytique sont confrontées aux résultats de simulations PIC 3D issues du code CALDER-Circ. La conséquence immédiate de la déformation de l'onde de sillage est la réduction, voire la suppression de l'auto-injection. L’application d’un champ magnétique longitudinal, combinée à un choix judicieux des paramètres laser-plasma, permet de réduire la dispersion en énergie des faisceaux d’électrons produits après injection optique. / An intense laser pulse propagating in an under dense plasma (ne<<nc) expels electrons and a wakefield is created which can accelerate efficiently electrons. When the laser pulse is very intense (I₀> 10¹⁸ W.cm⁻²) and short(τ₀< 100 fs), the bubble regime is reached. Within the bubble the electric field can exceed 100 GV/m and a trapped electron beam is accelerated to GeV energy with few centimetres of plasma.In this regime, the electrons expelled by the laser ponderomotive force are brought back and form a dense sheath layer. First, an analytic model was derived using W. Lu and S. Yi formalisms in order to investigate the properties of the wakefield in the blowout regime. In a second part, the trapping and injection mechanisms into the wakefield were studied. When the optical injection scheme is used, electrons may undergo stochastic heating or cold injection depending on the lasers’ polarisations. A similarity parameter was introduced to find out the most appropriate method to maximise the trapped charge. In a third part, our analytic model is extended to investigate the influence of an initially applied longitudinal magnetic field on the laser wakefield in the bubble regime. When the plasma is magnetized two remarkable phenomena occur. Firstly the bubble is opened at its rear, and secondly the longitudinal magnetic field is amplified - at the rear of the bubble - due to the azimuthal current induced by the variation of the magnetic flux. The predictions of our analytic model were shown to be in agreement with 3D PIC simulation results obtained with Calder-Circ. In most situations the wake shape is altered and self-injection can be reduced or even cancelled by the applied magnetic field. However, the application of a longitudinal magnetic field, combined with a careful choice of laser-plasma parameters, reduces the energy spread of the electron beam produced after optical injection.