1
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Sutcliffe GD, Pearcy JA, Johnson TM, Adrian PJ, Kabadi NV, Pollock B, Moody JD, Petrasso RD, Li CK. Experiments on the dynamics and scaling of spontaneous-magnetic-field saturation in laser-produced plasmas. Phys Rev E 2022; 105:L063202. [PMID: 35854613 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.105.l063202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In laser-produced high-energy-density plasmas, large-scale strong magnetic fields are spontaneously generated by the Biermann battery effects when temperature and density gradients are misaligned. Saturation of the magnetic field takes place when convection and dissipation balance field generation. While theoretical and numerical modeling provide useful insight into the saturation mechanisms, experimental demonstration remains elusive. In this letter, we report an experiment on the saturation dynamics and scaling of Biermann battery magnetic field in the regime where plasma convection dominates. With time-gated charged-particle radiography and time-resolved Thomson scattering, the field structure and evolution as well as corresponding plasma conditions are measured. In these conditions, the spatially resolved magnetic fields are reconstructed, leading to a picture of field saturation with a scaling of B∼1/L_{T} for a convectively dominated plasma, a regime where the temperature gradient scale (L_{T}) exceeds the ion skin depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- G D Sutcliffe
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - J A Pearcy
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - T M Johnson
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - P J Adrian
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - N V Kabadi
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - B Pollock
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - J D Moody
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - R D Petrasso
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - C K Li
- Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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2
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Gong Z, Hatsagortsyan KZ, Keitel CH. Retrieving Transient Magnetic Fields of Ultrarelativistic Laser Plasma via Ejected Electron Polarization. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2021; 127:165002. [PMID: 34723572 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.127.165002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Interaction of an ultrastrong short laser pulse with nonprepolarized near-critical density plasma is investigated in an ultrarelativistic regime, with an emphasis on the radiative spin polarization of ejected electrons. Our particle-in-cell simulations show explicit correlations between the angle resolved electron polarization and the structure and properties of the transient quasistatic plasma magnetic field. While the magnitude of the spin signal is the indicator of the magnetic field strength created by the longitudinal electron current, the asymmetry of electron polarization is found to gauge the islandlike magnetic distribution which emerges due to the transverse current induced by the laser wave front. Our studies demonstrate that the spin degree of freedom of ejected electrons could potentially serve as an efficient tool to retrieve the features of strong plasma fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gong
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph H Keitel
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Generation and collective interaction of giant magnetic dipoles in laser cluster plasma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15971. [PMID: 34354177 PMCID: PMC8342715 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95465-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Interaction of circularly polarized laser pulses with spherical nano-droplets generates nanometer-size magnets with lifetime on the order of hundreds of femtoseconds. Such magnetic dipoles are close enough in a cluster target and magnetic interaction takes place. We investigate such system of several magnetic dipoles and describe their rotation in the framework of Lagrangian formalism. The semi-analytical results are compared to particle-in-cell simulations, which confirm the theoretically obtained terrahertz frequency of the dipole oscillation.
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4
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Abstract
Understanding magnetic-field generation and amplification in turbulent plasma is essential to account for observations of magnetic fields in the universe. A theoretical framework attributing the origin and sustainment of these fields to the so-called fluctuation dynamo was recently validated by experiments on laser facilities in low-magnetic-Prandtl-number plasmas ([Formula: see text]). However, the same framework proposes that the fluctuation dynamo should operate differently when [Formula: see text], the regime relevant to many astrophysical environments such as the intracluster medium of galaxy clusters. This paper reports an experiment that creates a laboratory [Formula: see text] plasma dynamo. We provide a time-resolved characterization of the plasma's evolution, measuring temperatures, densities, flow velocities, and magnetic fields, which allows us to explore various stages of the fluctuation dynamo's operation on seed magnetic fields generated by the action of the Biermann-battery mechanism during the initial drive-laser target interaction. The magnetic energy in structures with characteristic scales close to the driving scale of the stochastic motions is found to increase by almost three orders of magnitude and saturate dynamically. It is shown that the initial growth of these fields occurs at a much greater rate than the turnover rate of the driving-scale stochastic motions. Our results point to the possibility that plasma turbulence produced by strong shear can generate fields more efficiently at the driving scale than anticipated by idealized magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of the nonhelical fluctuation dynamo; this finding could help explain the large-scale fields inferred from observations of astrophysical systems.
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5
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Ren J, Deng Z, Qi W, Chen B, Ma B, Wang X, Yin S, Feng J, Liu W, Xu Z, Hoffmann DHH, Wang S, Fan Q, Cui B, He S, Cao Z, Zhao Z, Cao L, Gu Y, Zhu S, Cheng R, Zhou X, Xiao G, Zhao H, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Li Y, Wu D, Zhou W, Zhao Y. Observation of a high degree of stopping for laser-accelerated intense proton beams in dense ionized matter. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5157. [PMID: 33057005 PMCID: PMC7560615 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18986-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Intense particle beams generated from the interaction of ultrahigh intensity lasers with sample foils provide options in radiography, high-yield neutron sources, high-energy-density-matter generation, and ion fast ignition. An accurate understanding of beam transportation behavior in dense matter is crucial for all these applications. Here we report the experimental evidence on one order of magnitude enhancement of intense laser-accelerated proton beam stopping in dense ionized matter, in comparison with the current-widely used models describing individual ion stopping in matter. Supported by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we attribute the enhancement to the strong decelerating electric field approaching 1 GV/m that can be created by the beam-driven return current. This collective effect plays the dominant role in the stopping of laser-accelerated intense proton beams in dense ionized matter. This finding is essential for the optimum design of ion driven fast ignition and inertial confinement fusion. A detailed understanding of particle stopping in matter is essential for nuclear fusion and high energy density science. Here, the authors report one order of magnitude enhancement of intense laser-accelerated proton beam stopping in dense ionized matter in comparison with currently used models describing ion stopping in matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieru Ren
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Zhigang Deng
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Wei Qi
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Benzheng Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.,Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Bubo Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Xing Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Shuai Yin
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Jianhua Feng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Wei Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.,Xi'an Technological University, Xi'an, 710021, China
| | - Zhongfeng Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Dieter H H Hoffmann
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Shaoyi Wang
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Quanping Fan
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Bo Cui
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Shukai He
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Zhurong Cao
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Zongqing Zhao
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Leifeng Cao
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Yuqiu Gu
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China
| | - Shaoping Zhu
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China.,Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing, 100094, China.,Graduate School, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing, 100088, China
| | - Rui Cheng
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 710049, China
| | - Xianming Zhou
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.,Xianyang Normal University, Xianyang, 712000, China
| | - Guoqing Xiao
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 710049, China
| | - Hongwei Zhao
- Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 710049, China
| | - Yihang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yutong Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dong Wu
- Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Weimin Zhou
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China.
| | - Yongtao Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China.
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6
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Brantov AV, Kuratov AS, Aliev YM, Bychenkov VY. Ultrafast target charging due to polarization triggered by laser-accelerated electrons. Phys Rev E 2020; 102:021202. [PMID: 32942499 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.102.021202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A significant step has been made towards understanding the physics of the transient surface current triggered by ejected electrons during the interaction of a short intense laser pulse with a high-conductivity target. Unlike the commonly discussed hypothesis of neutralization current generation as a result of the fast loss of hot electrons to the vacuum, the proposed mechanism is associated with excitation of the fast current by electric polarization due to transition radiation triggered by ejected electrons. We present a corresponding theoretical model and compare it with two simulation models using the finite-difference time-domain and particle-in-cell methods. Distinctive features of the proposed theory are clearly manifested in both of these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- A V Brantov
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Research, Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow 127055, Russia
| | - A S Kuratov
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Research, Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow 127055, Russia
| | - Yu M Aliev
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - V Yu Bychenkov
- P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, Leninskii Prospect 53, Moscow 119991, Russia.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Research, Dukhov Research Institute of Automatics (VNIIA), Moscow 127055, Russia
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7
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Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Zhu B, Jiang W, Cheng L, Zhao L, Zhang X, Zhao X, Yuan X, Tong B, Zhong J, He S, Lu F, Wu Y, Zhou W, Zhang F, Zhou K, Xie N, Huang Z, Gu Y, Weng S, Xu M, Li Y, Li Y. An angular-resolved multi-channel Thomson parabola spectrometer for laser-driven ion measurement. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2018; 89:093302. [PMID: 30278712 DOI: 10.1063/1.5042424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A multi-channel Thomson parabola spectrometer was designed and employed to diagnose ion beams driven by intense laser pulses. Angular-resolved energy spectra for different ion species can be measured in a single shot. It contains parallel dipole magnets and wedged electrodes to fit ion dispersion of different charge-to-mass ratios. The diameter and separation of the entrance pinhole channels were designed properly to provide sufficient resolution and avoid overlapping of dispersed ion beams. To obtain a precise energy spectral resolving, three-dimensional distributions of the electric and magnetic fields were simulated. Experimental measurement of energy-dependent angular distributions of target normal sheath accelerated protons and deuterons was demonstrated. This novel compact design provides a comprehensive characterization for ion beams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Baojun Zhu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Weiman Jiang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lei Cheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Department of Physics, College of Science, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Xiaopeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xu Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaohui Yuan
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Bowei Tong
- Department of Astronomy, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jiayong Zhong
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shukai He
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Feng Lu
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Yuchi Wu
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Weimin Zhou
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Faqiang Zhang
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Kainan Zhou
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Na Xie
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- Science and Technology on Plasma Physics Laboratory, Research Center of Laser Fusion, CAEP, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, China
| | - Yuqiu Gu
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of IFSA (CICIFSA), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Suming Weng
- Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Miaohua Xu
- Department of Physics, College of Science, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yingjun Li
- Department of Physics, College of Science, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yutong Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
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8
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Iwata N, Kojima S, Sentoku Y, Hata M, Mima K. Plasma density limits for hole boring by intense laser pulses. Nat Commun 2018; 9:623. [PMID: 29434203 PMCID: PMC5809619 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02829-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
High-power lasers in the relativistic intensity regime with multi-picosecond pulse durations are available in many laboratories around the world. Laser pulses at these intensities reach giga-bar level radiation pressures, which can push the plasma critical surface where laser light is reflected. This process is referred to as the laser hole boring (HB), which is critical for plasma heating, hence essential for laser-based applications. Here we derive the limit density for HB, which is the maximum plasma density the laser can reach, as a function of laser intensity. The time scale for when the laser pulse reaches the limit density is also derived. These theories are confirmed by a series of particle-in-cell simulations. After reaching the limit density, the plasma starts to blowout back toward the laser, and is accompanied by copious superthermal electrons; therefore, the electron energy can be determined by varying the laser pulse length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsumi Iwata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Sadaoki Kojima
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Advanced Research Center for Beam Science, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Sentoku
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masayasu Hata
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kunioki Mima
- The Graduate School for the Creation of New Photon Industries, 1955-1 Kurematsu, Nishiku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, 141-1201, Japan
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9
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Nakatsutsumi M, Sentoku Y, Korzhimanov A, Chen SN, Buffechoux S, Kon A, Atherton B, Audebert P, Geissel M, Hurd L, Kimmel M, Rambo P, Schollmeier M, Schwarz J, Starodubtsev M, Gremillet L, Kodama R, Fuchs J. Self-generated surface magnetic fields inhibit laser-driven sheath acceleration of high-energy protons. Nat Commun 2018; 9:280. [PMID: 29348402 PMCID: PMC5773560 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02436-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
High-intensity lasers interacting with solid foils produce copious numbers of relativistic electrons, which in turn create strong sheath electric fields around the target. The proton beams accelerated in such fields have remarkable properties, enabling ultrafast radiography of plasma phenomena or isochoric heating of dense materials. In view of longer-term multidisciplinary purposes (e.g., spallation neutron sources or cancer therapy), the current challenge is to achieve proton energies well in excess of 100 MeV, which is commonly thought to be possible by raising the on-target laser intensity. Here we present experimental and numerical results demonstrating that magnetostatic fields self-generated on the target surface may pose a fundamental limit to sheath-driven ion acceleration for high enough laser intensities. Those fields can be strong enough (~105 T at laser intensities ~1021 W cm–2) to magnetize the sheath electrons and deflect protons off the accelerating region, hence degrading the maximum energy the latter can acquire. Laser-generated ion acceleration has received increasing attention due to recent progress in super-intense lasers. Here the authors demonstrate the role of the self-generated magnetic field on the ion acceleration and limitations on the energy scaling with laser intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nakatsutsumi
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France. .,European XFEL, GmbH, Holzkoppel 4, 22869, Schenefeld, Germany. .,Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Y Sentoku
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, 89557, USA
| | - A Korzhimanov
- Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - S N Chen
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France.,Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - S Buffechoux
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France
| | - A Kon
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Sayo, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan
| | - B Atherton
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - P Audebert
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France
| | - M Geissel
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - L Hurd
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - M Kimmel
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - P Rambo
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - M Schollmeier
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - J Schwarz
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA
| | - M Starodubtsev
- Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | | | - R Kodama
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - J Fuchs
- LULI-CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA: Université Paris-Saclay; UPMC Univ Paris 06: Sorbonne Universités, Palaiseau cedex, F-91128, France. .,Institute of Applied Physics, 46 Ulyanov Street, 603950, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
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10
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Micron-scale mapping of megagauss magnetic fields using optical polarimetry to probe hot electron transport in petawatt-class laser-solid interactions. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8347. [PMID: 28827645 PMCID: PMC5566325 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08619-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The transport of hot, relativistic electrons produced by the interaction of an intense petawatt laser pulse with a solid has garnered interest due to its potential application in the development of innovative x-ray sources and ion-acceleration schemes. We report on spatially and temporally resolved measurements of megagauss magnetic fields at the rear of a 50-μm thick plastic target, irradiated by a multi-picosecond petawatt laser pulse at an incident intensity of ~1020 W/cm2. The pump-probe polarimetric measurements with micron-scale spatial resolution reveal the dynamics of the magnetic fields generated by the hot electron distribution at the target rear. An annular magnetic field profile was observed ~5 ps after the interaction, indicating a relatively smooth hot electron distribution at the rear-side of the plastic target. This is contrary to previous time-integrated measurements, which infer that such targets will produce highly structured hot electron transport. We measured large-scale filamentation of the hot electron distribution at the target rear only at later time-scales of ~10 ps, resulting in a commensurate large-scale filamentation of the magnetic field profile. Three-dimensional hybrid simulations corroborate our experimental observations and demonstrate a beam-like hot electron transport at initial time-scales that may be attributed to the local resistivity profile at the target rear.
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11
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GigaGauss solenoidal magnetic field inside bubbles excited in under-dense plasma. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36139. [PMID: 27796327 PMCID: PMC5086957 DOI: 10.1038/srep36139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper proposes a novel and effective method for generating GigaGauss level, solenoidal quasi-static magnetic fields in under-dense plasma using screw-shaped high intensity laser pulses. This method produces large solenoidal fields that move with the driving laser pulse and are collinear with the accelerated electrons. This is in contrast with already known techniques which rely on interactions with over-dense or solid targets and generates radial or toroidal magnetic field localized at the stationary target. The solenoidal field is quasi-stationary in the reference frame of the laser pulse and can be used for guiding electron beams. It can also provide synchrotron radiation beam emittance cooling for laser-plasma accelerated electron and positron beams, opening up novel opportunities for designs of the light sources, free electron lasers, and high energy colliders based on laser plasma acceleration.
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Albertazzi B, d'Humières E, Lancia L, Dervieux V, Antici P, Böcker J, Bonlie J, Breil J, Cauble B, Chen SN, Feugeas JL, Nakatsutsumi M, Nicolaï P, Romagnani L, Shepherd R, Sentoku Y, Swantusch M, Tikhonchuk VT, Borghesi M, Willi O, Pépin H, Fuchs J. A compact broadband ion beam focusing device based on laser-driven megagauss thermoelectric magnetic fields. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2015; 86:043502. [PMID: 25933857 DOI: 10.1063/1.4917273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-intense lasers can nowadays routinely accelerate kiloampere ion beams. These unique sources of particle beams could impact many societal (e.g., proton-therapy or fuel recycling) and fundamental (e.g., neutron probing) domains. However, this requires overcoming the beam angular divergence at the source. This has been attempted, either with large-scale conventional setups or with compact plasma techniques that however have the restriction of short (<1 mm) focusing distances or a chromatic behavior. Here, we show that exploiting laser-triggered, long-lasting (>50 ps), thermoelectric multi-megagauss surface magnetic (B)-fields, compact capturing, and focusing of a diverging laser-driven multi-MeV ion beam can be achieved over a wide range of ion energies in the limit of a 5° acceptance angle.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Albertazzi
- LULI, École Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - E d'Humières
- CELIA, Universite de Bordeaux, Talence 33405, France
| | - L Lancia
- Dipartimento SBAI, Universita di Roma "La Sapienza," Via A. Scarpa 16, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - V Dervieux
- LULI, École Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - P Antici
- Dipartimento SBAI, Universita di Roma "La Sapienza," Via A. Scarpa 16, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - J Böcker
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany
| | - J Bonlie
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - J Breil
- CELIA, Universite de Bordeaux, Talence 33405, France
| | - B Cauble
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - S N Chen
- LULI, École Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - J L Feugeas
- CELIA, Universite de Bordeaux, Talence 33405, France
| | - M Nakatsutsumi
- LULI, École Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - P Nicolaï
- CELIA, Universite de Bordeaux, Talence 33405, France
| | - L Romagnani
- LULI, École Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - R Shepherd
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551, USA
| | - Y Sentoku
- Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA
| | - M Swantusch
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany
| | | | - M Borghesi
- School of Physics and Astronomy, The Queen's University, Belfast BT7 INN, United Kingdom
| | - O Willi
- Institut für Laser- und Plasmaphysik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf D-40225, Germany
| | - H Pépin
- INRS-EMT, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada
| | - J Fuchs
- LULI, École Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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Chatterjee G, Singh PK, Adak A, Lad AD, Kumar GR. High-resolution measurements of the spatial and temporal evolution of megagauss magnetic fields created in intense short-pulse laser-plasma interactions. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2014; 85:013505. [PMID: 24517763 DOI: 10.1063/1.4861535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A pump-probe polarimetric technique is demonstrated, which provides a complete, temporally and spatially resolved mapping of the megagauss magnetic fields generated in intense short-pulse laser-plasma interactions. A normally incident time-delayed probe pulse reflected from its critical surface undergoes a change in its ellipticity according to the magneto-optic Cotton-Mouton effect due to the azimuthal nature of the ambient self-generated megagauss magnetic fields. The temporal resolution of the magnetic field mapping is typically of the order of the pulsewidth, limited by the laser intensity contrast, whereas a spatial resolution of a few μm is achieved by this optical technique. High-harmonics of the probe can be employed to penetrate deeper into the plasma to even near-solid densities. The spatial and temporal evolution of the megagauss magnetic fields at the target front as well as at the target rear are presented. The μm-scale resolution of the magnetic field mapping provides valuable information on the filamentary instabilities at the target front, whereas probing the target rear mirrors the highly complex fast electron transport in intense laser-plasma interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gourab Chatterjee
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Prashant Kumar Singh
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Amitava Adak
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - Amit D Lad
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
| | - G Ravindra Kumar
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1 Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, India
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