Abstract
The two-dimensional distribution of self-generated magnetic fields near the laser-plasma interaction region is observed for the first time by a very simple method of laser irradiation of audio magnetic tape. The lobe structure is a maximum at the incident angle of 10 to 15 degrees for p-polarized laser beam. The direction of the fields is perpendicular to the density gradient and to the incident p-polarization plane. Parity existence is verified by using convergent and divergent laser beams in a large cone angle case. In a small cone angle experiment, negative and positive magnetic fields across the resonance region, and the parity existence by reversing the sign of the incident angle are proved. These observations strogly support the resonance absorption as the field generation mechanism.
