  A three dimensional Particle-In-Cell simulation describing the interaction of
an intense laser beam with a plasma slab is presented. It is observed that the
laser generated electron current decays into magnetically isolated filaments.
The filaments grow in scale and magnitude by a merging process in the course of
which the field topology changes. The opposite process also takes place
occasionally. The laser driven charge and energy flows and the reconnecting
magnetic field mutually interact. At the end of the merging process flows and
fields are confined close to the laser irradiated surface of the plasma slab.
Both decay rapidly in the bulk plasma. Due to the magnetic pressure in the
filaments hollow density channels in the electron and ion densities are formed.
The simulation reveals that charge flows in these channels can exceed the
Alfven current.
