Specular Reflectivity and Hot-Electron Generation in High-Contrast Relativistic Laser-Plasma Interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kemp, Gregory Elijah [The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)

2013-01-01

Ultra-intense laser (> 1018 W/cm2) interactions with matter are capable of producing relativistic electrons which have a variety of applications in state-of-the-art scientific and medical research conducted at universities and national laboratories across the world. Control of various aspects of these hot-electron distributions is highly desired to optimize a particular outcome. Hot-electron generation in low-contrast interactions, where significant amounts of under-dense pre-plasma are present, can be plagued by highly non-linear relativistic laser-plasma instabilities and quasi-static magnetic field generation, often resulting in less than desirable and predictable electron source characteristics. High-contrast interactions offer more controlled interactions but often at the cost of overall lower coupling and increased sensitivity to initial target conditions. An experiment studying the differences in hot-electron generation between high and low-contrast pulse interactions with solid density targets was performed on the Titan laser platform at the Jupiter Laser Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, CA. To date, these hot-electrons generated in the laboratory are not directly observable at the source of the interaction. Instead, indirect studies are performed using state-of-the-art simulations, constrained by the various experimental measurements. These measurements, more-often-than-not, rely on secondary processes generated by the transport of these electrons through the solid density materials which can susceptible to a variety instabilities and target material/geometry effects. Although often neglected in these types of studies, the specularly reflected light can provide invaluable insight as it is directly influenced by the interaction. In this thesis, I address the use of (personally obtained) experimental specular reflectivity measurements to indirectly study hot-electron generation in the context of high-contrast, relativistic

Relativistic effects in ultra-high-intensity laser-plasma interaction: electron parametric instabilities and ponderomotive force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quesnel, Brice

1998-01-01

This research thesis reports a theoretical and numeric study of the behaviour of two non linear phenomena of the laser-plasma interaction physics in a relativistic regime: the electronic parametric instabilities, and the ponderomotive force. In a first part, the author establishes the three-dimensional scattering relationship of electron parametric instabilities for a circularly polarised wave propagating in a homogeneous and cold plasma, without limitations of wave intensity, nor of plasma density. Results are verified by comparison with those of two-dimensional numerical simulations. The Weibel instability is also briefly studied in relativistic regime. In the second part, the author establishes an expression of the ponderomotive force exerted by an ultra-intense laser pulse in the vacuum about the focus point. A numerical code of integration of equations of motion of an electron in the laser field is used for the different expressions corresponding different approximation degrees. Results are used to interpret a recent experiment, and to critic other theoretical works [fr

Theory of relativistic radiation reflection from plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Gonoskov, Arkady

2018-01-01

We consider the reflection of relativistically strong radiation from plasma and identify the physical origin of the electrons' tendency to form a thin sheet, which maintains its localisation throughout its motion. Thereby, we justify the principle of relativistic electronic spring (RES) proposed in [Gonoskov et al., Phys. Rev. E 84, 046403 (2011)]. Using the RES principle, we derive a closed set of differential equations that describe the reflection of radiation with arbitrary variation of polarization and intensity from plasma with an arbitrary density profile for an arbitrary angle of incidence. We confirm with ab initio PIC simulations that the developed theory accurately describes laser-plasma interactions in the regime where the reflection of relativistically strong radiation is accompanied by significant, repeated relocation of plasma electrons. In particular, the theory can be applied for the studies of plasma heating and coherent and incoherent emissions in the RES regime of high-intensity laser-plasma interaction.

Plasma heating in a long solenoid by a laser or a relativistic electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.

1975-01-01

Advances in the technology of a large energy laser and/or relativistic electron beam (REB) generator have made it possible to seriously consider a long solenoid reactor concept. This concept has been reviewed. The physical problems in the plasma heating of the long solenoid by a laser or a REB are studied

The acceleration of particles by relativistic electron plasma waves driven by the optical mixing of laser light in a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebrahim, N.A.; Douglas, S.R.

1992-03-01

Electron acceleration by relativistic large-amplitude electron plasma waves is studied by theory and particle simulations. The maximum acceleration that can be obtained from this process depends on many different factors. This report presents a study of how these various factors impact on the acceleration mechanism. Although particular reference is made to the laser plasma beatwave concept, the study is equally relevant to the acceleration of particles in the plasma wakefield accelerator and the laser wakefield accelerator

Relativistic Channeling of a Picosecond Laser Pulse in a Near-Critical Preformed Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borghesi, M.; MacKinnon, A.J.; Barringer, L.; Gaillard, R.; Gizzi, L.; Meyer, C.; Willi, O.; Pukhov, A.; Meyer-ter-Vehn, J.

1997-01-01

Relativistic self-channeling of a picosecond laser pulse in a preformed plasma near critical density has been observed both experimentally and in 3D particle-in-cell simulations. Optical probing measurements indicate the formation of a single pulsating propagation channel, typically of about 5μm in diameter. The computational results reveal the importance in the channel formation of relativistic electrons traveling with the light pulse and of the corresponding self-generated magnetic field. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Electromagnetic soliton production during interaction of relativistically strong laser pulses with plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulanov, S.V.; Esirkepov, T.Zh.; Kamenets, F.F.; Naumova, N.M.

1995-01-01

The paper presents the results of a numeric modelling of the propagation of ultra short relativistically strong laser pulses in a rarefied plasma by the 'particle in cell'. Primary attention is paid to the process of the formation of electromagnetic solitons which can not be described in the approximation of envelopes. It is found that under certain conditions a significant portion of pulse energy can transform is solitons. The soliton excitation mechanism is related to a decrease of local frequency of electromagnetic radiation due to the generation of wave plasma waves. From one soliton to a stub of solitons can be generated in the wake of a relatively long pulse depending on the parameters of laser pulse in plasma. Particles are effectively accelerated forwards radiation propagation in the electric field of wake plasma waves. 22 refs., 7 figs

A general theory of electronic parametric instability of relativistically intense laser light in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parr, D.M.

2000-04-01

This thesis studies the propagation and stability of ultraintense laser light in plasma. A new method is devised, both general and inclusive yet requiring only modest computational effort. The exact anharmonic waveforms for laser light are established. An examination of their stability extends the theory of electron parametric instabilities to relativistic regimes in plasmas of any density including classically overdense plasma accessible by self-induced transparency. Such instabilities can rapidly degrade intense pulses, but can also be harnessed, for example in the self-resonant laser wakefield accelerator. Understanding both the new and established regimes is thus basic to the success of many applications arising in high-field science, including novel x-ray sources and ignition of laser fusion targets, as well as plasma-based accelerator schemes. A covariant formulation of a cold electron fluid plasma is Lorentz transformed to the laser group velocity frame; this is the essence of the method and produces a very simple final model. Then, first, the zero-order laser 'driver' model is developed, in this frame representing a spatially homogeneous environment and thus soluble numerically as ordinary differential equations. The linearised first-order system leads to a further set of differential equations, whose solution defines the growth and other characteristics of an instability. The method is exact, rugged and flexible, avoiding the many approximations and restrictions previously necessary. This approach unifies all theory on purely electronic parametric instabilities over the last 30 years and, for the first time in generality, extends it into the ultrahigh relativistic regime. Besides extensions to familiar parametric instabilities, such as Stimulated Raman Scattering and Two-Plasmon Decay, strong stimulated harmonic generation emerges across a wide range of harmonics with high growth rates, presenting a varied and complex physical entity

Ion response to relativistic electron bunches in the blowout regime of laser-plasma accelerators.

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, K I; Rozmus, W; Bychenkov, V Yu; Naseri, N; Capjack, C E; Brantov, A V

2010-11-05

The ion response to relativistic electron bunches in the so called bubble or blowout regime of a laser-plasma accelerator is discussed. In response to the strong fields of the accelerated electrons the ions form a central filament along the laser axis that can be compressed to densities 2 orders of magnitude higher than the initial particle density. A theory of the filament formation and a model of ion self-compression are proposed. It is also shown that in the case of a sharp rear plasma-vacuum interface the ions can be accelerated by a combination of three basic mechanisms. The long time ion evolution that results from the strong electrostatic fields of an electron bunch provides a unique diagnostic of laser-plasma accelerators.

Relativistic magnetic reconnection driven by a moderately intense laser interacting with a micro-plasma-slab

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Longqing; Shen, Baifei; Pukhov, Alexander; Fülöp, Tünde

2017-10-01

Magnetic reconnection (MR) in the relativistic regime is generally thought to be responsible for powering rapid bursts of non-thermal radiation in astrophysical events. It is therefore of significant importance to study how the field energy is transferred to the plasma to power the observed emission. However, due to the difficulty in making direct measurements in astrophysical systems or achieving relativistic MR in laboratory environments, the particle acceleration is usually studied using fully kinetic PIC simulations. Here we present a numerical study of a readily available (TW-mJ-class) laser interacting with a micro-scale plasma slab. The simulations show when the electron beams excited on both sides of the slab approach the end of the plasma structure, ultrafast relativistic MR occurs. As the field topology changes, the explosive release of magnetic energy results in emission of relativistic electron jets with cut-off energy 12 MeV. The proposed novel scenario can be straightforwardly implemented in experiments, and might significantly improve the understanding of fundamental questions such as field dissipation and particle acceleration in relativistic MR. This work is supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the European Research Council (ERC-2014-CoG Grant 64712).

Optimization and application of electron acceleration in relativistic laser plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koenigstein, Thomas

2013-01-01

This thesis describes experiments and simulations of the acceleration of electrons to relativistic energies (toward γ e ∼ 10 3 ) by structures in plasmas which are generated by ultrashort (pulse length < 10 -14 s) laser pulses. The first part of this work discusses experiments in a parameter space where quasimonoenergetic electron bunches are generated in subcritical (gaseous) plasmas and compares them to analytical scalings. A primary concern in this work is to optimize the stability of the energy and the pointing of the electrons. The second part deals with acceleration of electrons along the surface of solid substrates by laser-plasma interaction. The measurements show good agreement with existing analytical scalings and dedicated numerical simulations. In the third part, two new concepts for multi-stage acceleration will be presented and parameterised by analytical considerations and numerical simulations. The first method uses electron pairs, as produced in the first part, to transfer energy from the first bunch to the second by means of a plasma wave. The second method utilizes a low intensity laser pulse in order to inject electrons from a neutral gas into the accelerating phase of a plasma wave. The final chapter proposes and demonstrates a first application that has been developed in collaboration with ESA. The use of electron beams with exponential energy distribution, as in the second part of this work, offers the potential to investigate the resistance of electronic components against space radiation exposure.

Synchrotron radiation based on laser-plasma interaction in the relativistic range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albert, F.

2007-12-01

This work illustrates the experimental characterization of a new compact X-ray source: the Betatron X-ray source. It is the first time that collimated hard X-ray source is produced by laser. Through the focusing of an ultra-intense laser radiation (30 TW, 30 fs) on a helium plasma, the ponderomotive force linked to the light intensity gradient expels the plasma electrons forming an accelerating cavity in the wake of the laser plasma. Some electrons trapped in the back of this structure, are accelerated and oscillate to produce X-radiation. This document is composed of 8 chapters. The first one is a presentation of the topic. The second chapter gives an account of the physics behind the laser-plasma interaction in the relativistic range and for ultra-short pulses. The third chapter presents the theoretical characteristics of the Betatron X-ray source. This chapter begins with an analogy with current synchrotron radiation and the radiation emitted by an electron undergoing Betatron oscillations is described in terms of power, spectral intensity and photon flux. The fourth chapter is dedicated to the numerical simulation of the Betatron radiation. The trajectories of the electrons are computed from the equation of motion, taking into account longitudinal and transverse forces. The radiation emission term is then computed from the radiation equation detailed in the previous chapter. The fifth chapter presents the experimental setting to produce Betatron X-rays. The sixth chapter gives the experimental characterization of the source (size, divergence and spectrum) on one hand, and on the other hand studies how source flux and spectra vary when laser and plasma parameters change. The seventh chapter presents experimental methods used to characterize the electrons trajectories in the plasma wiggler. The last chapter draws some perspectives on this source in terms of improvement and uses. (A.C.)

The effect of pre-plasma formation under nonlocal transport conditions for ultra-relativistic laser-plasma interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Holec, M.; Nikl, J.; Vranic, M.; Weber, S.

2018-04-01

Interaction of high-power lasers with solid targets is in general strongly affected by the limited contrast available. The laser pre-pulse ionizes the target and produces a pre-plasma which can strongly modify the interaction of the main part of the laser pulse with the target. This is of particular importance for future experiments which will use laser intensities above 1021 W cm-2 and which are subject to the limited contrast. As a consequence the main part of the laser pulse will be modified while traversing the pre-plasma, interacting with it partially. A further complication arises from the fact that the interaction of a high-power pre-pulse with solid targets very often takes place under nonlocal transport conditions, i.e. the characteristic mean-free-path of the particles and photons is larger than the characteristic scale-lengths of density and temperature. The classical diffusion treatment of radiation and heat transport in the hydrodynamic model is then insufficient for the description of the pre-pulse physics. These phenomena also strongly modify the formation of the pre-plasma which in turn affects the propagation of the main laser pulse. In this paper nonlocal radiation-hydrodynamic simulations are carried out and serve as input for subsequent kinetic simulations of ultra-high intensity laser pulses interacting with the plasma in the ultra-relativistic regime. It is shown that the results of the kinetic simulations differ considerably whether a diffusive or nonlocal transport is used for the radiation-hydrodynamic simulations.

Nonlinear relativistic plasma resonance: Renormalization group approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metelskii, I. I., E-mail: metelski@lebedev.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation); Kovalev, V. F., E-mail: vfkvvfkv@gmail.com [Dukhov All-Russian Research Institute of Automatics (Russian Federation); Bychenkov, V. Yu., E-mail: bychenk@lebedev.ru [Russian Academy of Sciences, Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation)

2017-02-15

An analytical solution to the nonlinear set of equations describing the electron dynamics and electric field structure in the vicinity of the critical density in a nonuniform plasma is constructed using the renormalization group approach with allowance for relativistic effects of electron motion. It is demonstrated that the obtained solution describes two regimes of plasma oscillations in the vicinity of the plasma resonance— stationary and nonstationary. For the stationary regime, the spatiotemporal and spectral characteristics of the resonantly enhanced electric field are investigated in detail and the effect of the relativistic nonlinearity on the spatial localization of the energy of the plasma relativistic field is considered. The applicability limits of the obtained solution, which are determined by the conditions of plasma wave breaking in the vicinity of the resonance, are established and analyzed in detail for typical laser and plasma parameters. The applicability limits of the earlier developed nonrelativistic theories are refined.

Studies on the propagation of relativistic plasma waves in high density plasmas produced by hypersonic ionizing shock waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, R.L.; Johnson, J.A. III

1993-01-01

The feasibility of using an ionizing shock wave to produce high density plasmas suitable for the propagation large amplitude relativistic plasma waves is being investigated. A 20 kv arc driven shock tube of coaxial geometry produces a hypersonic shock wave (10 p > 10 17 cm -3 ). The shock can be made to reflect off the end of the tube, collide with its wake, and thus increase the plasma density further. After reflecting, the plasma is at rest. The shock speed is measured using piezoelectric pressure probes and the ion density is measured using laser induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques on argon 488.0 nm and 422.8 nm lines. The future plans are to excite large amplitude relativistic plasma waves in this plasma by either injecting a short pulse laser (Laser Wake Field Scheme), two beating lasers (Plasma Beat Wave Scheme), or a short bunch of relativistic electrons (Plasma Wake Field Scheme). Results of recent computational and theoretical studies, as well as initial experimental measurements on the plasma using LIF, are reported. Implications for the application of high density plasmas produced in this way to such novel schemes as the plasma wave accelerator, photon accelerator, plasma wave undulator, and also plasma lens, are discussed. The effect of plasma turbulence is also discussed

Higher-order paraxial theory of the propagation of ring rippled laser beam in plasma: Relativistic ponderomotive regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purohit, Gunjan; Rawat, Priyanka; Chauhan, Prashant; Mahmoud, Saleh T.

2015-01-01

This article presents higher-order paraxial theory (non-paraxial theory) for the ring ripple formation on an intense Gaussian laser beam and its propagation in plasma, taking into account the relativistic-ponderomotive nonlinearity. The intensity dependent dielectric constant of the plasma has been determined for the main laser beam and ring ripple superimposed on the main laser beam. The dielectric constant of the plasma is modified due to the contribution of the electric field vector of ring ripple. Nonlinear differential equations have been formulated to examine the growth of ring ripple in plasma, self focusing of main laser beam, and ring rippled laser beam in plasma using higher-order paraxial theory. These equations have been solved numerically for different laser intensities and plasma frequencies. The well established experimental laser and plasma parameters are used in numerical calculation. It is observed that the focusing of the laser beams (main and ring rippled) becomes fast in the nonparaxial region by expanding the eikonal and other relevant quantities up to the fourth power of r. The splitted profile of laser beam in the plasma is observed due to uneven focusing/defocusing of the axial and off-axial rays. The growths of ring ripple increase when the laser beam intensity increases. Furthermore, the intensity profile of ring rippled laser beam gets modified due to the contribution of growth rate

Review of physics and applications of relativistic plasmas driven by ultra-intense lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umstadter, Donald

2001-01-01

As tabletop lasers continue to reach record levels of peak power, the interaction of light with matter has crossed a new threshold, in which plasma electrons at the laser focus oscillate at relativistic velocities. The highest forces ever exerted by light have been used to accelerate beams of electrons and protons to energies of a million volts in distances of only microns. Not only is this acceleration gradient up to a thousand times greater than in radio-frequency-based sources, but the transverse emittance of the particle beams is comparable or lower. Additionally, laser-based accelerators have been demonstrated to work at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, an improvement of a factor of 1000 over their best performance of just a couple of years ago. Anticipated improvements in energy spread may allow these novel compact laser-based radiation sources to be useful someday for cancer radiotherapy and as injectors into conventional accelerators, which are critical tools for x-ray and nuclear physics research. They might also be used as a spark to ignite controlled thermonuclear fusion. The ultrashort pulse duration of these particle bursts and the x rays they can produce, hold great promise as well to resolve chemical, biological or physical reactions on ultrafast (femtosecond) time scales and on the spatial scale of atoms. Even laser-accelerated protons are soon expected to become relativistic. The dense electron-positron plasmas and vast array of nuclear reactions predicted to occur in this case might even help bring astrophysical phenomena down to Earth, into university laboratories. This paper reviews the many recent advances in this emerging discipline, called high-field science

Collective scattering of electromagnetic waves from a relativistic magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Quankang

1998-01-01

Recently, laser and microwave scattering has become one of the important diagnostic means for plasma. Laser and microwave correlative scattering spectrum is determined by particle-density fluctuations in a weak turbulent plasma. In a relativistic plasma, on the basis of complete electromagnetic-interaction between particles, a general expression for particle density fluctuations and spectrums of laser and microwave scattering from a magnetized plasma are derived. The laser and microwave scattering spectrums provide informations on electron density and temperature, ion temperature, resonance and nonresonance effects. (author)

Generation of highly collimated high-current ion beams by skin-layer laser-plasma interaction at relativistic laser intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badziak, J.; Jablonski, S.; Glowacz, S.

2006-01-01

Generation of fast ion beams by laser-induced skin-layer ponderomotive acceleration has been studied using a two-dimensional (2D) two-fluid relativistic computer code. It is shown that the key parameter determining the spatial structure and angular divergence of the ion beam is the ratio d L /L n , where d L is the laser beam diameter and L n is the plasma density gradient scale length. When d L >>L n , a dense highly collimated megaampere ion (proton) beam of the ion current density approaching TA/cm 2 can be generated by skin-layer ponderomotive acceleration, even with a tabletop subpicosecond laser

Relativistic electron kinetic effects on laser diagnostics in burning plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Mirnov, V. V.; Den Hartog, D. J.

2018-02-01

Toroidal interferometry/polarimetry (TIP), poloidal polarimetry (PoPola), and Thomson scattering systems (TS) are major optical diagnostics being designed and developed for ITER. Each of them relies upon a sophisticated quantitative understanding of the electron response to laser light propagating through a burning plasma. Review of the theoretical results for two different applications is presented: interferometry/polarimetry (I/P) and polarization of Thomson scattered light, unified by the importance of relativistic (quadratic in vTe/c) electron kinetic effects. For I/P applications, rigorous analytical results are obtained perturbatively by expansion in powers of the small parameter τ = Te/me c2, where Te is electron temperature and me is electron rest mass. Experimental validation of the analytical models has been made by analyzing data of more than 1200 pulses collected from high-Te JET discharges. Based on this validation the relativistic analytical expressions are included in the error analysis and design projects of the ITER TIP and PoPola systems. The polarization properties of incoherent Thomson scattered light are being examined as a method of Te measurement relevant to ITER operational regimes. The theory is based on Stokes vector transformation and Mueller matrices formalism. The general approach is subdivided into frequency-integrated and frequency-resolved cases. For each of them, the exact analytical relativistic solutions are presented in the form of Mueller matrix elements averaged over the relativistic Maxwellian distribution function. New results related to the detailed verification of the frequency-resolved solutions are reported. The precise analytic expressions provide output much more rapidly than relativistic kinetic numerical codes allowing for direct real-time feedback control of ITER device operation.

Relativistic self-focusing of ultra-high intensity X-ray laser beams in warm quantum plasma with upward density profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habibi, M.; Ghamari, F.

2014-01-01

The results of a numerical study of high-intensity X-ray laser beam interaction with warm quantum plasma (WQP) are presented. By means of an upward ramp density profile combined with quantum factors specially the Fermi velocity, we have demonstrated significant relativistic self-focusing (RSF) of a Gaussian electromagnetic beam in the WQP where the Fermi temperature term in the dielectric function is important. For this purpose, we have considered the quantum hydrodynamics model that modifies refractive index of inhomogeneous WQPs with the inclusion of quantum correction through the quantum statistical and diffraction effects in the relativistic regime. Also, to better illustration of the physical difference between warm and cold quantum plasmas and their effect on the RSF, we have derived the envelope equation governing the spot size of X-ray laser beam in Q-plasmas. In addition to the upward ramp density profile, we have found that the quantum effects would be caused much higher oscillation and better focusing of X-ray laser beam in the WQP compared to that of cold quantum case. Our computational results reveal the importance of the use of electrons density profile and Fermi speed in enhancing self-focusing of laser beam

X-ray polarization measurements at relativistic laser intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beiersdorfer, P.; Shepherd, R.; Mancini, R.C.

2004-01-01

An effort has been started to measure the short pulse laser absorption and energy partition at relativistic laser intensities up to 10 21 W/cm 2 . Plasma polarization spectroscopy is expected to play an important role in determining fast electron generation and measuring the electron distribution function. (author)

Laser-driven relativistic electron dynamics in a cylindrical plasma channel

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Pan-Fei; Lv, Wen-Juan; Li, Xiao-Liang; Tang, Rong-An; Xue, Ju-Kui

2018-03-01

The energy and trajectory of the electron, which is irradiated by a high-power laser pulse in a cylindrical plasma channel with a uniform positive charge and a uniform negative current, have been analyzed in terms of a single-electron model of direct laser acceleration. We find that the energy and trajectory of the electron strongly depend on the positive charge density, the negative current density, and the intensity of the laser pulse. The electron can be accelerated significantly only when the positive charge density, the negative current density, and the intensity of the laser pulse are in suitable ranges due to the dephasing rate between the wave and electron motion. Particularly, when their values satisfy a critical condition, the electron can stay in phase with the laser and gain the largest energy from the laser. With the enhancement of the electron energy, strong modulations of the relativistic factor cause a considerable enhancement of the electron transverse oscillations across the channel, which makes the electron trajectory become essentially three-dimensional, even if it is flat at the early stage of the acceleration. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11475027, 11765017, 11764039, 11305132, and 11274255), the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province, China (Grant No. 17JR5RA076), and the Scientific Research Project of Gansu Higher Education, China (Grant No. 2016A-005).

Ponderomotive and weakly relativistic self-focusing of Gaussian laser beam in plasma: Effect of light absorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patil, S. D., E-mail: sdpatilphy@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Devchand College, Arjunnagar, Dist.: Kolhapur 591 237 (India); Takale, M. V. [Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur 416 004 (India)

2016-05-06

This paper presents an influence of light absorption on self-focusing of laser beam propagation in plasma. The differential equation for beam-width parameter is obtained using the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin and paraxial approximations through parabolic equation approach. The nonlinearity in dielectric function is assumed to be aroused due to the combined effect of weakly relativistic and ponderomotive regime. To highlight the nature of propagation, behavior of beam-width parameter with dimensionless distance of propagation is presented graphically and discussed. The present work is helpful to understand issues related to the beam propagation in laser plasma interaction experiments where light absorption plays a vital role.

Relativistic electromagnetic waves in an electron-ion plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Chian, Abraham C.-L.; Kennel, Charles F.

1987-01-01

High power laser beams can drive plasma particles to relativistic energies. An accurate description of strong waves requires the inclusion of ion dynamics in the analysis. The equations governing the propagation of relativistic electromagnetic waves in a cold electron-ion plasma can be reduced to two equations expressing conservation of energy-momentum of the system. The two conservation constants are functions of the plasma stream velocity, the wave velocity, the wave amplitude, and the electron-ion mass ratio. The dynamic parameter, expressing electron-ion momentum conversation in the laboratory frame, can be regarded as an adjustable quantity, a suitable choice of which will yield self-consistent solutions when other plasma parameters were specified. Circularly polarized electromagnetic waves and electrostatic plasma waves are used as illustrations.

Interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with under-dense plasmas; Interaction d'impulsions laser ultra-courtes et ultra-intenses avec des plasmas sous denses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solodov, A

2000-12-15

Different aspects of interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas are studied analytically and numerically. These studies can be interesting for laser-driven electron acceleration in plasma, X-ray lasers, high-order harmonic generation, initial confinement fusion with fast ignition. For numerical simulations a fully-relativistic particle code WAKE was used, developed earlier at Ecole Polytechnique. It was modified during the work on the thesis in the part of simulation of ion motion, test electron motion, diagnostics for the field and plasma. The studies in the thesis cover the problems of photon acceleration in the plasma wake of a short intense laser pulse, phase velocity of the plasma wave in the Self-Modulated Laser Wake-Field Accelerator (SM LWFA), relativistic channeling of laser pulses with duration of the order of a plasma period, ion dynamics in the wake of a short intense laser pulse, plasma wave breaking. Simulation of three experiments on the laser pulse propagation in plasma and electron acceleration were performed. Among the main results of the thesis, it was found that reduction of the plasma wave phase velocity in the SM LWFA is crucial for electron acceleration, only if a plasma channel is used for the laser pulse guiding. Self-similar structures describing relativistic guiding of short laser pulses in plasmas were found and relativistic channeling of initially Gaussian laser pulses of a few plasma periods in duration was demonstrated. It was shown that ponderomotive force of a plasma wake excited by a short laser pulse forms a channel in plasma and plasma wave breaking in the channel was analyzed in detail. Effectiveness of electron acceleration by the laser field and plasma wave was compared and frequency shift of probe laser pulses by the plasma waves was found in conditions relevant to the current experiments. (author)

Relativistic modeling capabilities in PERSEUS extended MHD simulation code for HED plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamlin, Nathaniel D., E-mail: nh322@cornell.edu [438 Rhodes Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 (United States); Seyler, Charles E., E-mail: ces7@cornell.edu [Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853 (United States)

2014-12-15

We discuss the incorporation of relativistic modeling capabilities into the PERSEUS extended MHD simulation code for high-energy-density (HED) plasmas, and present the latest hybrid X-pinch simulation results. The use of fully relativistic equations enables the model to remain self-consistent in simulations of such relativistic phenomena as X-pinches and laser-plasma interactions. By suitable formulation of the relativistic generalized Ohm’s law as an evolution equation, we have reduced the recovery of primitive variables, a major technical challenge in relativistic codes, to a straightforward algebraic computation. Our code recovers expected results in the non-relativistic limit, and reveals new physics in the modeling of electron beam acceleration following an X-pinch. Through the use of a relaxation scheme, relativistic PERSEUS is able to handle nine orders of magnitude in density variation, making it the first fluid code, to our knowledge, that can simulate relativistic HED plasmas.

Interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with under-dense plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solodov, A.

2000-12-01

Different aspects of interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas are studied analytically and numerically. These studies can be interesting for laser-driven electron acceleration in plasma, X-ray lasers, high-order harmonic generation, initial confinement fusion with fast ignition. For numerical simulations a fully-relativistic particle code WAKE was used, developed earlier at Ecole Polytechnique. It was modified during the work on the thesis in the part of simulation of ion motion, test electron motion, diagnostics for the field and plasma. The studies in the thesis cover the problems of photon acceleration in the plasma wake of a short intense laser pulse, phase velocity of the plasma wave in the Self-Modulated Laser Wake-Field Accelerator (SM LWFA), relativistic channeling of laser pulses with duration of the order of a plasma period, ion dynamics in the wake of a short intense laser pulse, plasma wave breaking. Simulation of three experiments on the laser pulse propagation in plasma and electron acceleration were performed. Among the main results of the thesis, it was found that reduction of the plasma wave phase velocity in the SM LWFA is crucial for electron acceleration, only if a plasma channel is used for the laser pulse guiding. Self-similar structures describing relativistic guiding of short laser pulses in plasmas were found and relativistic channeling of initially Gaussian laser pulses of a few plasma periods in duration was demonstrated. It was shown that ponderomotive force of a plasma wake excited by a short laser pulse forms a channel in plasma and plasma wave breaking in the channel was analyzed in detail. Effectiveness of electron acceleration by the laser field and plasma wave was compared and frequency shift of probe laser pulses by the plasma waves was found in conditions relevant to the current experiments. (author)

Relativistic derivation of the ponderomotive force produced by two intense laser fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroscio, M.A.

1985-01-01

The ponderomotive force plays a fundamental role in the absorption of laser light on self-consistent plasma density profiles, in multiple-photon ionization, and in intense field electrodynamics. The relativistic corrections to the ponderomotive force of a transversely polarized electromagnetic wave lead to an approximately 20-percent reduction in the single particle ponderomotive force produced by a 10-γm 10 16 -W/cm 2 laser field. Recent experimental investigations are based on using two intense laser fields to produce desired lasermatter interactions. This paper presents the first derivation of the nonlinear relativistic ponderomotive force produced by two intense laser fields. The results demonstrate that relativistic ponderomotive forces are not additive

Probing the onset of laser-induced relativistic transparency in massive targets

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tao; Wagner, Craig; Toncian, Toma; Dyer, Gilliss; Arefiev, Alexey; Ditmire, Todd

2017-10-01

We have investigated a novel approach of using harmonics of the laser frequency generated in the plasma to detect the onset of relativistic transparency induced by an intense laser pulse. The onset of the transparency is directly associated with a forward motion of a relativistically adjusted critical surface. The corresponding velocity is relativistic, so the harmonics generated at this critical surface are noticeably shifted. Using particle-in-cell simulations, we have confirmed that the resulting shift greatly exceeds the shift produced during a hole-boring process when the relativistic transparency plays no role, which allows us to clearly identify the onset of the relativistic transparency. Experiments that we have carried out at the Texas Petawatt laser showcase this approach. The 3rd harmonic signal detected in experiments with massive targets irradiated at laser intensities around 1020 W/cm2 has a pronounced shift associated with the relativistic transparency. The shift represents a recession of the relativistically adjusted critical surface with a velocity close to 0.2 c. This approach opens a new possibility of detecting changes in the optical properties of matter induced by intense laser pulses even when no transmission of the laser pulse takes place. This research was supported part by NSF (Grant No. 1632777) and NNSA (Cont. No. DE-NA0002008). Simulations were performed using HPC resources at TACC at the University of Texas.

Radiation sources based on laser-plasma interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaroszynski, D.A.; Bingham, R.; Brunetti, E.; Ersfeld, B.; Gallacher, J.G.; Geer, van der S.B.; Issac, R.; Jamison, S.P.; Jones, D.; Loos, de M.J.; Lyachev, A.; Pavlov, V.M.; Reitsma, A.J.W.; Saveliev, Y.M.; Vieux, G.; Wiggins, S.M.

2006-01-01

Plasma waves excited by intense laser beams can be harnessed to produce femtosecond duration bunches of electrons with relativistic energies. The very large electrostatic forces of plasma density wakes trailing behind an intense laser pulse provide field potentials capable of accelerating charged

Laser heating of large noble gas clusters: from the resonant to the relativistic interaction regimes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gumbrell, E T; Moore, A S; Clark, E L; Garbett, W J; Comley, A J; Edwards, R D; Eagleton, R E [Plasma Physics Division, AWE Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR (United Kingdom); Lazarus, J A; Nilson, P M; Robinson, J S; Hohenberger, M; Symes, D R; Smith, R A [Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom); Clarke, R J [Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)], E-mail: edward.gumbrell@awe.co.uk, E-mail: r.a.smith@imperial.ac.uk

2008-12-15

Wide-ranging measurements of sub-picosecond laser interactions with large noble gas cluster targets have been conducted in order to help clarify the nature and extent of the underlying laser-plasma heating. Within the sub-relativistic vacuum irradiance range of 10{sup 16}-10{sup 17} W cm{sup -2}, we find that electron temperatures measured with continuum x-ray spectroscopy exhibit a pronounced multi-keV enhancement. Analysis indicates this behaviour to be consistent with collisional or collisionless resonant heating mechanisms. We also present the first measurements of laser-to-cluster energy deposition at relativistic vacuum irradiances, our data demonstrating absorption fractions of 90% or more. Optical probing was used to resolve the onset of a supersonic ionization front resulting from this very high absorption, and shows that despite significant pre-focus heating, the greatest plasma energy densities can be generated about the vacuum focus position. Electron energy spectra measurements confirm that laser-plasma super-heating occurs, and together with ion data establish that relativistic laser-plasma coupling in atomic clusters can take place without significant MeV particle beam production. In conjunction with optical self-emission data, the optical probing also indicates laser pre-pulse effects at peak vacuum irradiance of 5 x 10{sup 19} W cm{sup -2}. Laser absorption, plasma heating and energy transport data are supported throughout with analytical and numerical modelling.

Interaction of Intense Lasers with Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Shvets, Gennady

1995-01-01

This thesis addresses two important topics in nonlinear laser plasma physics: the interaction of intense lasers with a non thermal homogeneous plasma, the excitation of laser wakefields in hollow plasma channels, and the stability of channel guided propagation of laser pulses. In the first half of this thesis a new theoretical approach to the nonlinear interaction of intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas is developed. Unlike previous treatments, this theory is three-dimensional, relativistically covariant, and does not assume that astudied. An experimental check of this calculation is suggested, based on the predicted non-linear polarization rotation (the second harmonic is emitted polarized perpendicularly to polarization of the incident signal). The concept of renormalization is applied to the plasma and electromagnetic radiation (photons and plasmons). To the lowest order, this corresponds to relativistically correcting the electron mass for its oscillation in an intense EM field and to replacing the vacuum dispersion relation by the usual relativistic plasma dispersion relation. This renormalization procedure is then carried to higher order in epsilon=omega_sp{p} {2}a^2/[(1+a^2/2)^ {3/2}omega^2]. This yields the nonlinear modification of the index of refraction of a strong electromagnetic wave and the dispersion of a weak probe in the presence of the wave. In the second part of this thesis the stability of short laser pulses propagating through parabolic channels and the wake excitation of hollow plasma channels are studied. The stability of a channel guided short laser pulse propagation is analyzed for the first time. Perturbations to the laser pulse are shown to modify the ponderomotive pressure, which distorts the dielectric properties of the plasma channel. The channel perturbation then further distorts the laser pulse. A set of coupled mode equations is derived, and a matrix dispersion relation is obtained analytically. The ponderomotive excitation

Nonlinear interaction of ultraintense laser pulse with relativistic thin ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-10-13

Oct 13, 2016 ... Today the laser drive of relativistic ions, i.e. ions whose kinetic energy exceeds their rest energy, is an ... this intense electric field, the ions are accelerated and rush towards the electrons with almost the same veloc ... incident laser electric field EL on thin plasma foil of thickness l must satisfy the condition EL ...

Relativistically Induced Transparency Acceleration (RITA) - laser-plasma accelerated quasi-monoenergetic GeV ion-beams with existing lasers?

Science.gov (United States)

Sahai, Aakash A.

2013-10-01

Laser-plasma ion accelerators have the potential to produce beams with unprecedented characteristics of ultra-short bunch lengths (100s of fs) and high bunch-charge (1010 particles) over acceleration length of about 100 microns. However, creating and controlling mono-energetic bunches while accelerating to high-energies has been a challenge. If high-energy mono-energetic beams can be demonstrated with minimal post-processing, laser (ω0)-plasma (ωpe) ion accelerators may be used in a wide-range of applications such as cancer hadron-therapy, medical isotope production, neutron generation, radiography and high-energy density science. Here we demonstrate using analysis and simulations that using relativistic intensity laser-pulses and heavy-ion (Mi ×me) targets doped with a proton (or light-ion) species (mp ×me) of trace density (at least an order of magnitude below the cold critical density) we can scale up the energy of quasi-mono-energetically accelerated proton (or light-ion) beams while controlling their energy, charge and energy spectrum. This is achieved by controlling the laser propagation into an overdense (ω0 RITA). Desired proton or light-ion energies can be achieved by controlling the velocity of the snowplow, which is shown to scale inversely with the rise-time of the laser (higher energies for shorter pulses) and directly with the scale-length of the plasma density gradient. Similar acceleration can be produced by controlling the increase of the laser frequency (Chirp Induced Transparency Acceleration, ChITA). Work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF- PHY-0936278. Also, NSF-PHY-0936266 and NSF-PHY-0903039; the US Department of Energy under DEFC02-07ER41500, DE- FG02-92ER40727 and DE-FG52-09NA29552.

Relativistic focusing and ponderomotive channeling of intense laser beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafizi, B.; Ting, A.; Sprangle, P.; Hubbard, R. F.

2000-01-01

The ponderomotive force associated with an intense laser beam expels electrons radially and can lead to cavitation in plasma. Relativistic effects as well as ponderomotive expulsion of electrons modify the refractive index. An envelope equation for the laser spot size is derived, using the source-dependent expansion method with Laguerre-Gaussian eigenfunctions, and reduced to quadrature. The envelope equation is valid for arbitrary laser intensity within the long pulse, quasistatic approximation and neglects instabilities. Solutions of the envelope equation are discussed in terms of an effective potential for the laser spot size. An analytical expression for the effective potential is given. For laser powers exceeding the critical power for relativistic self-focusing the analysis indicates that a significant contraction of the spot size and a corresponding increase in intensity is possible. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Comment on “Stationary self-focusing of Gaussian laser beam in relativistic thermal quantum plasma” [Phys. Plasmas 20, 072703 (2013)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habibi, M.; Ghamari, F.

2014-01-01

Patil and Takale in their recent article [Phys. Plasmas 20, 072703 (2013)], by evaluating the quantum dielectric response in thermal quantum plasma, have modeled the relativistic self-focusing of Gaussian laser beam in a plasma. We have found that there are some important shortcomings and fundamental mistakes in Patil and Takale [Phys. Plasmas 20, 072703 (2013)] that we give a brief description about them and refer readers to important misconception about the use of the Fermi temperature in quantum plasmas, appearing in Patil and Takale [Phys. Plasmas 20, 072703 (2013)

Plasma relativistic microwave electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzelev, M.V.; Loza, O.T.; Rukhadze, A.A.; Strelkov, P.S.; Shkvarunets, A.G.

2001-01-01

One formulated the principles of plasma relativistic microwave electronics based on the induced Cherenkov radiation of electromagnetic waves at interaction of a relativistic electron beam with plasma. One developed the theory of plasma relativistic generators and accelerators of microwave radiation, designed and studied the prototypes of such devices. One studied theoretically the mechanisms of radiation, calculated the efficiencies and the frequency spectra of plasma relativistic microwave generators and accelerators. The theory findings are proved by the experiment: intensity of the designed sources of microwave radiation is equal to 500 μW, the frequency of microwave radiation is increased by 7 times (from 4 up to 28 GHz), the width of radiation frequency band may vary from several up to 100%. The designed sources of microwave radiation are no else compared in the electronics [ru

Ultra-intense laser pulse propagation in plasmas: from classic hole-boring to incomplete hole-boring with relativistic transparency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng, S M; Murakami, M; Mulser, P; Sheng, Z M

2012-01-01

Relativistic laser pulse propagation into homogeneous plasmas has been investigated as a function of plasma density. At first, the propagation features are compared systematically between relativistic transparency (RT) and hole-boring (HB). Paramountly, a considerably broad intermediate regime, namely the incomplete HB regime, has been found between the RT regime and the HB regime for an extremely intense circularly polarized (CP) pulse. In this regime HB proceeds in collaboration with RT, resulting in a much faster propagation speed and a higher cut-off energy of fast ions than in the classic HB regime. Similarly to the classic HB regime, formulae are presented to model the laser propagation and the ion acceleration according to the modified momentum flux balance in this incomplete HB regime. The simulations give the density boundary between this incomplete HB regime and the classic HB regime for CP pulses, which is crucial for estimating the maximum mean ion energy and the maximum conversion efficiency that can be achieved by the classic HB acceleration at a given laser intensity. For linear polarization (LP) the propagation mechanism apparently undergoes a transition in time between these two regimes. A detailed comparison between LP and circular polarization is made for these phenomena. (paper)

Fast-electron-relaxation measurement for laser-solid interaction at relativistic laser intensities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.; Shepherd, R.; Chung, H. K.; Kemp, A.; Hansen, S. B.; Wilks, S. C.; Ping, Y.; Widmann, K.; Fournier, K. B.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Dyer, G.; Faenov, A.; Pikuz, T.

2007-01-01

We present measurements of the fast-electron-relaxation time in short-pulse (0.5 ps) laser-solid interactions for laser intensities of 10 17 , 10 18 , and 10 19 W/cm 2 , using a picosecond time-resolved x-ray spectrometer and a time-integrated electron spectrometer. We find that the laser coupling to hot electrons increases as the laser intensity becomes relativistic, and that the thermalization of fast electrons occurs over time scales on the order of 10 ps at all laser intensities. The experimental data are analyzed using a combination of models that include Kα generation, collisional coupling, and plasma expansion

Bright X-ray source from a laser-driven micro-plasma-waveguide

CERN Document Server

Yi, Longqing

2016-01-01

Bright tunable x-ray sources have a number of applications in basic science, medicine and industry. The most powerful sources are synchrotrons, where relativistic electrons are circling in giant storage rings. In parallel, compact laser-plasma x-ray sources are being developed. Owing to the rapid progress in laser technology, very high-contrast femtosecond laser pulses of relativistic intensities become available. These pulses allow for interaction with micro-structured solid-density plasma without destroying the structure by parasitic pre-pulses. The high-contrast laser pulses as well as the manufacturing of materials at micro- and nano-scales open a new realm of possibilities for laser interaction with photonic materials at the relativistic intensities. Here we demonstrate, via numerical simulations, that when coupling with a readily available 1.8 Joule laser, a micro-plasma-waveguide (MPW) may serve as a novel compact x-ray source. Electrons are extracted from the walls by the laser field and form a dense ...

Generation of ultra-short relativistic-electron-bunch by a laser wakefield

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khachatryan, A.G.; Boller, Klaus J.; van Goor, F.A.

2003-01-01

The possibility of the generation of an ultra-short (about one micron long) relativistic (up to a few GeVs) electron-bunch in a moderately nonlinear laser wakefield excited in an underdense plasma by an intense laser pulse is investigated. The ultra-short bunch is formed by trapping, effective

Magnetized relativistic electron-ion plasma expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Benkhelifa, El-Amine; Djebli, Mourad

2016-03-01

The dynamics of relativistic laser-produced plasma expansion across a transverse magnetic field is investigated. Based on a one dimensional two-fluid model that includes pressure, enthalpy, and rest mass energy, the expansion is studied in the limit of λD (Debye length) ≤RL (Larmor radius) for magnetized electrons and ions. Numerical investigation conducted for a quasi-neutral plasma showed that the σ parameter describing the initial plasma magnetization, and the plasma β parameter, which is the ratio of kinetic to magnetic pressure are the key parameters governing the expansion dynamics. For σ ≪ 1, ion's front shows oscillations associated to the break-down of quasi-neutrality. This is due to the strong constraining effect and confinement of the magnetic field, which acts as a retarding medium slowing the plasma expansion.

effect of the plasma ion channel on self-focusing of a Gaussian laser pulse in underdense plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sh Irani

2013-09-01

Full Text Available  We have considered the self-focusing of a Gaussian laser pulse in unmagnetized plasma. High-intensity electromagnetic fields cause the variation of electron density in plasma. These changes in the special conditions cause the acceleration of electrons to the higher energy and velocities. Thus the equation of plasma density evolution was obtained considering the electrons ponderomotive force. Then, an equation for the width of laser pulse with a relativistic mass correction term and the effect of ion channel were derived and the propagation of high-intensity laser pulse in an underdense plasma with weak relativistic approximation was investigated. It is shown that the ratio of ion channel radius to spot size could result in different forms of self focusing for the laser pulse in plasma.

Laser-plasmas in the relativistic-transparency regime: science and applications

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Fernandez, J.C.; Gautier, D. C.; Huang, Ch.; Palaniyappan, S.; Albright, B.J.; Bang, W.; Dyer, G.; Favalli, A.; Hunter, J.F.; Mendez, J.; Roth, M.; Swinhoe, M.; Bradley, P.A.; Deppert, O.; Espy, M.; Falk, Kateřina; Guler, N.; Hamilton, Ch.; Hegelich, B.M.; Henzlova, D.; Ianakiev, K.D.; Iliev, M.; Johnson, R. P.; Kleinschmidt, A.; Losko, A.S.; McCary, E.; Mocko, M.; Nelson, R.O.; Roycroft, R.; Santiago Cordoba, M.A.; Schanz, V.A.; Schaumann, G.; Schmidt, D.W.; Sefkow, A.; Shimada, T.; Taddeucci, T.N.; Tebartz, A.; Vogel, S.C.; Vold, E.; Wurden, G.A.; Yin, L.

2017-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 5 (2017), 1-19, č. článku 056702. ISSN 1070-664X R&D Projects: GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162; GA MŠk LQ1606 Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : ion beams * neutrons * gamma rays * plasma temparature * relativistics plasmas Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 2.115, year: 2016

Enhanced relativistic self-focusing of Hermite-cosh-Gaussian laser beam in plasma under density transition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nanda, Vikas; Kant, Niti

2014-01-01

Enhanced and early relativistic self-focusing of Hermite-cosh-Gaussian (HChG) beam in the plasmas under density transition has been investigated theoretically using Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin and paraxial ray approximation for mode indices m=0, 1, and 2. The variation of beam width parameter with normalized propagation distance for m=0, 1, and 2 is reported, and it is observed that strong self-focusing occurs as the HChG beam propagates deeper inside the nonlinear medium as spot size shrinks due to highly dense plasmas and the results are presented graphically. A comparative study between self-focusing of HChG beam in the presence and absence of plasmas density transition is reported. The dependency of beam width parameter on the normalized propagation distance for different values of decentered parameter “b” has also been presented graphically. For m=0 and 1, strong self-focusing is reported for b=1.8, and for m=2 and b=1.8, beam gets diffracted. The results obtained indicate the dependency of the self-focusing of the HChG beam on the selected values of decentered parameter. Moreover, proper selection of decentered parameter results strong self-focusing of HChG beam. Stronger self-focusing of laser beam is observed due to the presence of plasma density transition which might be very useful in the applications like the generation of inertial fusion energy driven by lasers, laser driven accelerators, etc

Enhanced relativistic self-focusing of Hermite-cosh-Gaussian laser beam in plasma under density transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nanda, Vikas; Kant, Niti, E-mail: nitikant@yahoo.com [Department of Physics, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab (India)

2014-04-15

Enhanced and early relativistic self-focusing of Hermite-cosh-Gaussian (HChG) beam in the plasmas under density transition has been investigated theoretically using Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin and paraxial ray approximation for mode indices m=0, 1, and 2. The variation of beam width parameter with normalized propagation distance for m=0, 1, and 2 is reported, and it is observed that strong self-focusing occurs as the HChG beam propagates deeper inside the nonlinear medium as spot size shrinks due to highly dense plasmas and the results are presented graphically. A comparative study between self-focusing of HChG beam in the presence and absence of plasmas density transition is reported. The dependency of beam width parameter on the normalized propagation distance for different values of decentered parameter “b” has also been presented graphically. For m=0 and 1, strong self-focusing is reported for b=1.8, and for m=2 and b=1.8, beam gets diffracted. The results obtained indicate the dependency of the self-focusing of the HChG beam on the selected values of decentered parameter. Moreover, proper selection of decentered parameter results strong self-focusing of HChG beam. Stronger self-focusing of laser beam is observed due to the presence of plasma density transition which might be very useful in the applications like the generation of inertial fusion energy driven by lasers, laser driven accelerators, etc.

Study of laser plasma interactions in the relativistic regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umstadter, D.

1997-01-01

We discuss the first experimental demonstration of electron acceleration by a laser wakefield over instances greater than a Rayleigh range (or the distance a laser normally propagates in vacuum). A self-modulated laser wakefield plasma wave is shown to have a field gradient that exceeds that of an RF linac by four orders of magnitude (E => 200 GV/m) and accelerates electrons with over 1-nC of charge per bunch in a beam with space-charge-limited emittance (1 mm-mrad). Above a laser power threshold, a plasma channel, created by the intense ultrashort laser pulse (I approx. 4 x1018 W/CM2, gamma = 1 micron, r = 400 fs), was found to increase the laser propagation distance, decrease the electron beam divergence, and increase the electron energy. The plasma wave, directly measured with coherent Thomson scattering is shown to damp-due to beam loading-in a duration of 1.5 ps or approx. 100 plasma periods. These results may have important implications for the proposed fast ignitor concept

Electron acceleration by femtosecond laser interaction with micro-structured plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Goers, Andy James

Laser-driven accelerators are a promising and compact alternative to RF accelerator technology for generating relativistic electron bunches for medical, scientific, and security applications. This dissertation presents three experiments using structured plasmas designed to advance the state of the art in laser-based electron accelerators, with the goal of reducing the energy of the drive laser pulse and enabling higher repetition rate operation with current laser technology. First, electron acceleration by intense femtosecond laser pulses in He-like nitrogen plasma waveguides is demonstrated. Second, significant progress toward a proof of concept realization of quasi-phasematched direct acceleration (QPM-DLA) is presented. Finally, a laser wakefield accelerator at very high plasma density is studied, enabling relativistic electron beam generation with ˜10 mJ pulse energies. Major results from these experiments include: • Acceleration of electrons up to 120 MeV from an ionization injected wakefield accelerator driven in a 1.5 mm long He-like nitrogen plasma waveguide • Guiding of an intense, quasi-radially polarized femtosecond laser pulse in a 1 cm plasma waveguide. This pulse provides a strong drive field for the QPM-DLA concept. • Wakefield acceleration of electrons up to ˜10 MeV with sub-terawatt, ˜10 mJ pulses interacting with a thin (˜200 mum), high density (>1020 cm-3) plasma. • Observation of an intense, coherent, broadband wave breaking radiation flash from a high plasma density laser wakefield accelerator. The flash radiates > 1% of the drive laser pulse energy in a bandwidth consistent with half-cycle (˜1 fs) emission from violent unidirectional acceleration of electron bunches from rest. These results open the way to high repetition rate (>˜kHz) laser-driven generation of relativistic electron beams with existing laser technology.

RELATIVISTIC CYCLOTRON INSTABILITY IN ANISOTROPIC PLASMAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

López, Rodrigo A.; Moya, Pablo S.; Muñoz, Víctor; Valdivia, J. Alejandro [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago (Chile); Navarro, Roberto E.; Araneda, Jaime A. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Viñas, Adolfo F., E-mail: rlopez186@gmail.com [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Heliophysics Science Division, Geospace Physics Laboratory, Mail Code 673, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2016-11-20

A sufficiently large temperature anisotropy can sometimes drive various types of electromagnetic plasma micro-instabilities, which can play an important role in the dynamics of relativistic pair plasmas in space, astrophysics, and laboratory environments. Here, we provide a detailed description of the cyclotron instability of parallel propagating electromagnetic waves in relativistic pair plasmas on the basis of a relativistic anisotropic distribution function. Using plasma kinetic theory and particle-in-cell simulations, we study the influence of the relativistic temperature and the temperature anisotropy on the collective and noncollective modes of these plasmas. Growth rates and dispersion curves from the linear theory show a good agreement with simulations results.

Effects of relativistic and channel focusing on q-Gaussian laser beam propagating in a preformed parabolic plasma channel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Li; Hong, Xue-Ren, E-mail: hxr_nwnu@163.com; Sun, Jian-An, E-mail: sunja@nwnu.edu.cn; Tang, Rong-An; Yang, Yang; Zhou, Wei-Jun; Tian, Jian-Min; Duan, Wen-Shan

2017-07-12

The propagation of q-Gaussian laser beam in a preformed plasma channel is investigated by means of the variational method. A differential equation for the spot size has been obtained by including the effects of relativistic self-focusing, ponderomotive self-channeling and preformed channel focusing. The propagation behaviors and their corresponding physical conditions are identified. The comparison of the propagation between q-Gaussian and Gaussian laser beams is done by theoretical and numerical analysis. It is shown that, in the same channel, the focusing power of q-Gaussian laser beam is lower than that of Gaussian laser beam, i.e., the q-Gaussian laser beam is easier to focus than Gaussian laser beam. - Highlights: • Some behaviors for Gaussian laser are also found for q-Gaussian one. • The parameter regions corresponding to different laser behaviors are given. • Influence of q on the laser propagation behavior is obvious. • The q-Gaussian laser beam is easier to focus than the Gaussian one.

Effects of relativistic and channel focusing on q-Gaussian laser beam propagating in a preformed parabolic plasma channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Li; Hong, Xue-Ren; Sun, Jian-An; Tang, Rong-An; Yang, Yang; Zhou, Wei-Jun; Tian, Jian-Min; Duan, Wen-Shan

2017-01-01

The propagation of q-Gaussian laser beam in a preformed plasma channel is investigated by means of the variational method. A differential equation for the spot size has been obtained by including the effects of relativistic self-focusing, ponderomotive self-channeling and preformed channel focusing. The propagation behaviors and their corresponding physical conditions are identified. The comparison of the propagation between q-Gaussian and Gaussian laser beams is done by theoretical and numerical analysis. It is shown that, in the same channel, the focusing power of q-Gaussian laser beam is lower than that of Gaussian laser beam, i.e., the q-Gaussian laser beam is easier to focus than Gaussian laser beam. - Highlights: • Some behaviors for Gaussian laser are also found for q-Gaussian one. • The parameter regions corresponding to different laser behaviors are given. • Influence of q on the laser propagation behavior is obvious. • The q-Gaussian laser beam is easier to focus than the Gaussian one.

Kadomtsev-Petviashvili solitons propagation in a plasma system with superthermal and weakly relativistic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafeez-Ur-Rehman; Mahmood, S.; Shah, Asif; Haque, Q.

2011-01-01

Two dimensional (2D) solitons are studied in a plasma system comprising of relativistically streaming ions, kappa distributed electrons, and positrons. Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation is derived through the reductive perturbation technique. Analytical solution of the KP equation has been studied numerically and graphically. It is noticed that kappa parameters of electrons and positrons as well as the ions relativistic streaming factor have an emphatic influence on the structural as well as propagation characteristics of two dimensional solitons in the considered plasma system. Our results may be helpful in the understanding of soliton propagation in astrophysical and laboratory plasmas, specifically the interaction of pulsar relativistic wind with supernova ejecta and the transfer of energy to plasma by intense electric field of laser beams producing highly energetic superthermal and relativistic particles [L. Arons, Astrophys. Space Sci. Lib. 357, 373 (2009); P. Blasi and E. Amato, Astrophys. Space Sci. Proc. 2011, 623; and A. Shah and R. Saeed, Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 53, 095006 (2011)].

Relativistic Boltzmann theory for a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erkelens, H. van.

1984-01-01

This thesis gives a self-contained treatment of the relativistic Boltzmann theory for a plasma. Here plasma means any mixture containing electrically charged particles. The relativistic Boltzmann equation is linearized for the case of a plasma. The Chapman-Enskog method is elaborated further for transport phenomena. Linear laws for viscous phenomena are derived. Then the collision term in the Boltzmann theory is dealt with. Using the transport equation, a kinetic theory of wave phenomena is developed and the dissipation of hydromagnetic waves in a relativistic plasma is investigated. In the final chapter, it is demonstrated how the relativistic Boltzmann theory can be applied in cosmology. In doing so, expressions are derived for the electric conductivity of the cosmological plasma in the lepton era, the plasma era and the annihilation era. (Auth.)

Self-focusing of laser beams in magnetized relativistic electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whang, M.H.; Ho, A.Y.; Kuo, S.P.

1989-01-01

Recently, there is considerable interest in radiation focusing and optical guiding using the resonant interaction between the radiation field and electron beam. The result of radiation focusing has been shown to play a central role in the practical utilization of the FEL. This result allows the device to use longer interaction length for achieving higher output power. Likewise, the possibility of self-focusing of the laser beam in cyclotron resonance with a relativistic electron beam is also an important issue in the laser acceleration concepts for achieving high-gradient electron acceleration. The effectiveness of the acceleration process relies strongly on whether the laser intensity can be maintained at the desired level throughout the interaction. In this work, the authors study the problem concerning the self-focusing of laser beam in the relativistic electron beams under the cyclotron auto-resonance interaction. They assume that there is no electron density perturbation prohibited from the background magnetic field for the time scale of interest. The nonlinearity responsible for self-focusing process is introduced by the energy dependence of the relativistic mass of electrons. The plasma frequency varies with the electron energy which is proportional to the radiation amplitude. They then examine such a relativistic nonlinear effect on the propagation of a Gaussian beam in the electron beam. A parametric study of the dependence of the laser beam width on the axial position for various electron beam density has been performed

Analysis of core plasma heating and ignition by relativistic electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakao, Y.

2002-01-01

Clarification of the pre-compressed plasma heating by fast electrons produced by relativistic laser-plasma interaction is one of the most important issues of the fast ignition scheme in ICF. On the basis of overall calculations including the heating process, both by relativistic hot electrons and alpha-particles, and the hydrodynamic evolution of bulk plasma, we examine the feature of core plasma heating and the possibility of ignition. The deposition of the electron energy via long-range collective mode, i.e. Langmuir wave excitation, is shown to be comparable to that through binary electron-electron collisions; the calculation neglecting the wave excitation considerably underestimates the core plasma heating. The ignition condition is also shown in terms of the intensity I(h) and temperature T(h) of hot electrons. It is found that I(h) required for ignition increases in proportion to T(h). For efficiently achieving the fast ignition, electron beams with relatively 'low' energy (e.g.T(h) below 1 MeV) are desirable. (author)

5. Laser plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labaune, C.; Fuchs, J.; Bandulet, H.

2002-01-01

Imprint elimination, smoothing and preheat control are considerable problems in inertial fusion and their possible solution can be achieved by using low-density porous materials as a buffer in target design. The articles gathered in this document present various aspects of the laser-plasma interaction, among which we have noticed: -) numerical algorithmic improvements of the Vlasov solver toward the simulation of the laser-plasma interaction are proposed, -) the dependence of radiation temperatures and X-ray conversion efficiencies of hohlraum on the target structures and laser irradiation conditions are investigated, -) a study of laser interaction with ultra low-density (0,5 - 20 mg/cm 3 ) porous media analyzing backscattered light at incident laser frequency ω 0 and its harmonics 3*ω 0 /2 and 2*ω 0 is presented, -) investigations of laser interaction with solid targets and crater formation are carried out with the objective to determine the ablation loading efficiency, -) a self organization in an intense laser-driven plasma and the measure of the relative degree of order of the states in an open system based on the S-theorem are investigated, and -) the existence and stability of electromagnetic solitons generated in a relativistic interaction of an intense laser light with uniform under-dense cold plasma are studied

Laser-plasma interactions in magnetized environment

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yuan; Qin, Hong; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2018-05-01

Propagation and scattering of lasers present new phenomena and applications when the plasma medium becomes strongly magnetized. With mega-Gauss magnetic fields, scattering of optical lasers already becomes manifestly anisotropic. Special angles exist where coherent laser scattering is either enhanced or suppressed, as we demonstrate using a cold-fluid model. Consequently, by aiming laser beams at special angles, one may be able to optimize laser-plasma coupling in magnetized implosion experiments. In addition, magnetized scattering can be exploited to improve the performance of plasma-based laser pulse amplifiers. Using the magnetic field as an extra control variable, it is possible to produce optical pulses of higher intensity, as well as compress UV and soft x-ray pulses beyond the reach of other methods. In even stronger giga-Gauss magnetic fields, laser-plasma interaction enters a relativistic-quantum regime. Using quantum electrodynamics, we compute a modified wave dispersion relation, which enables correct interpretation of Faraday rotation measurements of strong magnetic fields.

Next Generation Driver for Attosecond and Laser-plasma Physics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas, D E; Borot, A; Cardenas, D E; Marcus, G; Gu, X; Herrmann, D; Xu, J; Tan, J; Kormin, D; Ma, G; Dallari, W; Tsakiris, G D; Földes, I B; Chou, S-W; Weidman, M; Bergues, B; Wittmann, T; Schröder, H; Tzallas, P; Charalambidis, D; Razskazovskaya, O; Pervak, V; Krausz, F; Veisz, L

2017-07-12

The observation and manipulation of electron dynamics in matter call for attosecond light pulses, routinely available from high-order harmonic generation driven by few-femtosecond lasers. However, the energy limitation of these lasers supports only weak sources and correspondingly linear attosecond studies. Here we report on an optical parametric synthesizer designed for nonlinear attosecond optics and relativistic laser-plasma physics. This synthesizer uniquely combines ultra-relativistic focused intensities of about 10 20  W/cm 2 with a pulse duration of sub-two carrier-wave cycles. The coherent combination of two sequentially amplified and complementary spectral ranges yields sub-5-fs pulses with multi-TW peak power. The application of this source allows the generation of a broad spectral continuum at 100-eV photon energy in gases as well as high-order harmonics in relativistic plasmas. Unprecedented spatio-temporal confinement of light now permits the investigation of electric-field-driven electron phenomena in the relativistic regime and ultimately the rise of next-generation intense isolated attosecond sources.

Relativistic generalization of strong plasma turbulence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chian, A.C.-L.

1982-01-01

Two fundamental electrostatic modes of an unmagnetized plasma, namely, ion acoustic mode and Langumir mode are studied. Previous theories are generalized to include the effect of relativistic mass variations. The existence of relativistic ion acoustic solitons is demonstrated. In addition, it is shown that simple, relativistic Langumir solitons do not exist in a infinite plasma. (L.C.) [pt

Propagation of intense laser pulses in an underdense plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monot, P.; Auguste, T.; Gibbon, P.; Jakober, F.; Mainfray, G.

1994-01-01

Experiments carried out with a laser beam focused into a vacuum chamber onto a 3-mm long, pulsed hydrogen jet, at powers close to the critical power required for relativistic self focusing, have shown that an underdense plasma is able to significantly reduce the divergence of an intense laser pulse. The propagation mode is in good agreement with theoretical predictions of relativistic self focusing. 2 figs., 8 refs

An optical trap for relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Ping; Saleh, Ned; Chen Shouyuan; Sheng Zhengming; Umstadter, Donald

2003-01-01

The first optical trap capable of confining relativistic electrons, with kinetic energy ≤350 keV was created by the interference of spatially and temporally overlapping terawatt power, 400 fs duration laser pulses (≤2.4x10 18 W/cm 2 ) in plasma. Analysis and computer simulation predicted that the plasma density was greatly modulated, reaching a peak density up to 10 times the background density (n e /n 0 ∼10) at the interference minima. Associated with this charge displacement, a direct-current electrostatic field of strength of ∼2x10 11 eV/m was excited. These predictions were confirmed experimentally by Thomson and Raman scattering diagnostics. Also confirmed were predictions that the electron density grating acted as a multi-layer mirror to transfer energy between the crossed laser beams, resulting in the power of the weaker laser beam being nearly 50% increased. Furthermore, it was predicted that the optical trap acted to heat electrons, increasing their temperature by two orders of magnitude. The experimental results showed that the number of high energy electrons accelerated along the direction of one of the laser beams was enhanced by a factor of 3 and electron temperature was increased ∼100 keV as compared with single-beam illumination

Wave function of free electron in a strong laser plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Shitong; Shen Wenda; Guo Qizhi

1993-01-01

The wave function of free electron in a strong laser plasma is obtained by solving exactly the Dirac equation in a curved space-time with optical metric for the laser plasma. When the laser field is diminished to zero, the wave function is naturally reduced to relativistic wave function of free electron. The possible application of the wave function is discussed

Nonlinear dynamics of electromagnetic pulses in cold relativistic plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bonatto, A.; Pakter, R.; Rizzato, F.B. [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Fisica, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

2004-07-01

The propagation of intense electromagnetic pulses in plasmas is a subject of current interest particularly for particle acceleration and laser fusion.In the present analysis we study the self consistent propagation of nonlinear electromagnetic pulses in a one dimensional relativistic electron-ion plasma, from the perspective of nonlinear dynamics. We show how a series of Hamiltonian bifurcations give rise to the electric fields which are of relevance in the subject of particle acceleration. Connections between these bifurcated solutions and results of earlier analysis are made. (authors)

Nonlinear dynamics of electromagnetic pulses in cold relativistic plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonatto, A.; Pakter, R.; Rizzato, F.B.

2004-01-01

The propagation of intense electromagnetic pulses in plasmas is a subject of current interest particularly for particle acceleration and laser fusion.In the present analysis we study the self consistent propagation of nonlinear electromagnetic pulses in a one dimensional relativistic electron-ion plasma, from the perspective of nonlinear dynamics. We show how a series of Hamiltonian bifurcations give rise to the electric fields which are of relevance in the subject of particle acceleration. Connections between these bifurcated solutions and results of earlier analysis are made. (authors)

Device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma to drive fast liners

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thode, L.E.

1981-01-01

A device and method for relativistic electron beam heating of a high-density plasma in a small localized region are described. A relativistic electron beam generator or accelerator produces a high-voltage electron beam which propagates along a vacuum drift tube and is modulated to initiate electron bunching within the beam. The beam is then directed through a low-density gas chamber which provides isolation between the vacuum modulator and the relativistic electron beam target. The relativistic beam is then applied to a high-density target plasma which typically comprises dt, dd, hydrogen boron or similar thermonuclear gas at a density of 1017 to 1020 electrons per cubic centimeter. The target gas is ionized prior to application of the electron beam by means of a laser or other preionization source to form a plasma. Utilizing a relativistic electron beam with an individual particle energy exceeding 3 mev, classical scattering by relativistic electrons passing through isolation foils is negligible. As a result, relativistic streaming instabilities are initiated within the high-density target plasma causing the relativistic electron beam to efficiently deposit its energy and momentum into a small localized region of the high-density plasma target. Fast liners disposed in the high-density target plasma are explosively or ablatively driven to implosion by a heated annular plasma surrounding the fast liner which is generated by an annular relativistic electron beam. An azimuthal magnetic field produced by axial current flow in the annular plasma, causes the energy in the heated annular plasma to converge on the fast liner

Whispering gallery effect in relativistic optics

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Y.; Law, K. F. F.; Korneev, Ph.; Fujioka, S.; Kojima, S.; Lee, S.-H.; Sakata, S.; Matsuo, K.; Oshima, A.; Morace, A.; Arikawa, Y.; Yogo, A.; Nakai, M.; Norimatsu, T.; d'Humières, E.; Santos, J. J.; Kondo, K.; Sunahara, A.; Gus'kov, S.; Tikhonchuk, V.

2018-03-01

relativistic laser pulse, confined in a cylindrical-like target, under specific conditions may perform multiple scattering along the internal target surface. This results in the confinement of the laser light, leading to a very efficient interaction. The demonstrated propagation of the laser pulse along the curved surface is just yet another example of the "whispering gallery" effect, although nonideal due to laser-plasma coupling. In the relativistic domain its important feature is a gradual intensity decrease, leading to changes in the interaction conditions. The proccess may pronounce itself in plenty of physical phenomena, including very efficient electron acceleration and generation of relativistic magnetized plasma structures.

Time-resolved plasma spectroscopy of thin foils heated by a relativistic-intensity short-pulse laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Audebert, P.; Gauthier, J.-C.; Shepherd, R.; Fournier, K.B.; Price, D.; Lee, R.W.; Springer, P.; Peyrusse, O.; Klein, L.

2002-01-01

Time-resolved K-shell x-ray spectra are recorded from sub-100 nm aluminum foils irradiated by 150-fs laser pulses at relativistic intensities of Iλ 2 =2x10 18 W μm 2 /cm 2 . The thermal penetration depth is greater than the foil thickness in these targets so that uniform heating takes place at constant density before hydrodynamic motion occurs. The high-contrast, high-intensity laser pulse, broad spectral band, and short time resolution utilized in this experiment permit a simplified interpretation of the dynamical evolution of the radiating matter. The observed spectrum displays two distinct phases. At early time, ≤500 fs after detecting target emission, a broad quasicontinuous spectral feature with strong satellite emission from multiply excited levels is seen. At a later time, the He-like resonance line emission is dominant. The time-integrated data is in accord with previous studies with time resolution greater than 1 ps. The early time satellite emission is shown to be a signature of an initial large area, high density, low-temperature plasma created in the foil by fast electrons accelerated by the intense radiation field in the laser spot. We conclude that, because of this early time phenomenon and contrary to previous predictions, a short, high-intensity laser pulse incident on a thin foil does not create a uniform hot and dense plasma. The heating mechanism has been studied as a function of foil thickness, laser pulse length, and intensity. In addition, the spectra are found to be in broad agreement with a hydrodynamic expansion code postprocessed by a collisional-radiative model based on superconfiguration average rates and on the unresolved transition array formalism

Electron acceleration using laser produced plasmas

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Landua, Rolf

2005-01-01

Low density plasmas have long been of interest as a potential medium for particle acceleration since relativistic plasma waves are capable of supporting electric fields greater than 100 GeV/m. The physics of particle acceleration using plasmas will be reviewed, and new results will be discussed which have demonstrated that relatively narrow energy spread (<3%) beams having energies greater than 100 MeV can be produced from femtosecond laser plasma interactions. Future experiments and potential applications will also be discussed.

Topics in high-intensity laser plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leemans, W.P.

1991-01-01

The interaction of high intensity laser pulses with pre-formed and laser-produced plasmas is studied. Through experiments and simulations we have investigated stimulated Compton scattering in preformed plasmas and the plasma physics aspects of tunnel-ionized gases. A theoretical study is presented on the nonlinear dynamics of relativistic plasma waves driven by colinear optical mixing. The electron density-fluctuation spectra induced by stimulated Compton scattering have been directly observed for the first time. A CO2 laser was focused into pre-formed plasmas with densities n(e) varied from 0.4-6 x 10(exp 16) cu cm. The fluctuations corresponding to backscatter were probed using Thomson scattering. At low n(e), the scattered spectra peak at a frequency shift Delta omega is approximately kv e and appears to be in a linear regime. At the highest n(e), a nonlinear saturation of the SCS instability is observed due to a self-induced perturbation of the electron distribution function. Tunnel-ionized plasmas have been studied through experiments and particle simulations. Experimentally, qualitative evidence for plasma temperature control by varying the laser polarization was obtained by the measurement of stimulated Compton scattering fluctuation spectra and x-ray emission from such plasmas. A higher parallel temperature than expected from the single-particle tunneling model was observed. Simulations indicate that stochastic heating and the Weibel instability play an important role in plasma heating in all directions and isotropization. The non-linear dynamics associated with beatwave (Delta omega, Delta k) excited long wavelength plasma waves in the presence of strong, short wavelength density ripple have been examined, using the relativistic Lagrangian oscillator model. This model shows period doubling that roughly follows Feigenbaum scaling, and a transition to chaos

Electron trapping in the electrosound solitary wave for propagation of high intensity laser in a relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heidari, E; Aslaninejad, M; Eshraghi, H

2010-01-01

Using a set of relativistic equations for plasmas with warm electrons and cold ions, we have investigated the effects of trapped electrons in the propagation of an electrosound wave and discussed the possibility of the formation of electromagnetic solitons in a plasma. The effective potential energy and deviations of the electron and ion number densities in this relativistic model have been found. We have obtained the governing equations for the amplitude of the HF field with relativistic corrections. In order to show the destructive impact of the trapped electrons on the solitary wave, a relativistic effective potential and the governing equation have been found. It is shown that for certain values of the parameters the condition of localization of the HF amplitude is violated. In addition, it is shown that as the flow velocity of the plasma changes, the shape of the solitary wave shows two opposing behaviours, depending on whether the solitary wave velocity is larger than the flow velocity or smaller. Also, the existence of stationary solitary waves which are prohibited for nonrelativistic plasma has been predicted. Finally, we have obtained the Korteweg-de Vries equation showing the relativistic, trapping and nonlinearity effects.

Relativistic electron mirrors from high intensity laser nanofoil interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiefer, Daniel

2012-01-01

The reflection of a laser pulse from a mirror moving close to the speed of light could in principle create an X-ray pulse with unprecedented high brightness owing to the increase in photon energy and accompanying temporal compression by a factor of 4γ 2 , where γ is the Lorentz factor of the mirror. While this scheme is theoretically intriguingly simple and was first discussed by A. Einstein more than a century ago, the generation of a relativistic structure which acts as a mirror is demanding in many different aspects. Recently, the interaction of a high intensity laser pulse with a nanometer thin foil has raised great interest as it promises the creation of a dense, attosecond short, relativistic electron bunch capable of forming a mirror structure that scatters counter-propagating light coherently and shifts its frequency to higher photon energies. However, so far, this novel concept has been discussed only in theoretical studies using highly idealized interaction parameters. This thesis investigates the generation of a relativistic electron mirror from a nanometer foil with current state-of-the-art high intensity laser pulses and demonstrates for the first time the reflection from those structures in an experiment. To achieve this result, the electron acceleration from high intensity laser nanometer foil interactions was studied in a series of experiments using three inherently different high power laser systems and free-standing foils as thin as 3nm. A drastic increase in the electron energies was observed when reducing the target thickness from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. Quasi-monoenergetic electron beams were measured for the first time from ultrathin (≤5nm) foils, reaching energies up to ∝35MeV. The acceleration process was studied in simulations well-adapted to the experiments, indicating the transition from plasma to free electron dynamics as the target thickness is reduced to the few nanometer range. The experience gained from those

Relativistic and nonlinear radiation interaction between laser beams and plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, E.L.; Hora, H.

1981-01-01

Starting from a combination of Maxwell's laws for the electromagnetic field and the conservation equations for a fully ionized plasma, the appropriate equations describing electrodynamic laser propagation and plasma dynamic particle motion are developed and solved. Calculations for multiply ionized transient conditions are carried out to yield electric field amplitudes, radial electron number density distributions and the progress of formation of a self-focused beam filament as a function of the target plasma density distribution and the laser pulse power-time history, among other parameters. Separate solutions emphasizing field-induced plasma motion on the one hand and significant beam contraction on the other are illustrated

En Route: next-generation laser-plasma-based electron accelerators; En Route: Elektronenbeschleuniger der naechsten Generation auf Laser-Plasma-Basis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hidding, Bernhard

2008-05-15

Accelerating electrons to relativistic energies is of fundamental interest, especially in particle physics. Today's accelerator technology, however, is limited by the maximum electric fields which can be created. This thesis presents results on various mechanisms aiming at exploiting the fields in focussed laser pulses and plasma waves for electron acceleration, which can be orders of magnitude higher than with conventional accelerators. With relativistic, underdense laser-plasma-interaction, quasimonoenergetic electron bunches with energies up to {approx}50 MeV and normalized emittances of the order of 5mmmrad have been generated. This was achieved by focussing the {approx}80 fs, 1 J pulses of the JETI-laser at the FSU Jena to intensities of several 10{sup 19}W=cm{sup 2} into gas jets. The experimental observations could be explained via 'bubble acceleration', which is based on self-injection and acceleration of electrons in a highly nonlinear breaking plasma wave. For the rst time, this bubble acceleration was achieved explicitly in the self-modulated laser wakefield regime (SMLWFA). This quasimonoenergetic SMLWFA-regime stands out by relaxing dramatically the requirements on the driving laser pulse necessary to trigger bubble acceleration. This is due to self-modulation of the laser pulse in high-density gas jets, leading to ultrashort laser pulse fragments capable of initiating bubble acceleration. Electron bunches with durations laser pulse fragment can be powerful enough to drive a bubble. Distinct double peaks have been observed in the electron spectra, indicating that two quasimonoenergetic electron bunches separated by only few tens of fs have formed. This is backed up by PIC-Simulations (Particle-in-Cell). These results underline the feasibility of the construction of small table

An energy principle for two-dimensional collisionless relativistic plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, A.; Schindler, K.

1984-01-01

Using relativistic Vlasov theory an energy principle for two-dimensional plasmas is derived, which provides a sufficient and necessary criterion for the stability of relativistic plasma equilibria. This energy principle includes charge separating effects since the exact Poisson equation was taken into consideration. Applying the variational principle to the case of the relativistic plane plasma sheet, the same marginal wave length is found as in the non-relativistic case. (author)

On the theory of magnetic field generation by relativistically strong laser radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezhiani, V.I.; Shatashvili, N.L.; Mahajan, S.M.

1996-07-01

The authors consider the interaction of subpicosecond relativistically strong short laser pulses with an underdense cold unmagnetized electron plasma. It is shown that the strong plasma inhomogeneity caused by laser pulses results in the generation of a low frequency (quasistatic) magnetic field. Since the electron density distribution is determined completely by the pump wave intensity, the generated magnetic field is negligibly small for nonrelativistic laser pulses but increases rapidly in the ultrarelativistic case. Due to the possibility of electron cavitation (complete expulsion of electrons from the central region) for narrow and intense beams, the increase in the generated magnetic field slows down as the beam intensity is increased. The structure of the magnetic field closely resembles that of the field produced by a solenoid; the field is maximum and uniform in the cavitation region, then it falls, changes polarity and vanishes. In extremely dense plasmas, highly intense laser pulses in the self-channeling regime can generate magnetic fields ∼ 100 Mg and greater

Plasma effects in attosecond pulse generation from ultra-relativistic laser-plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, T.J.M.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Particle-in-cell simulations were performed to examine the influence of plasma effects on high harmonic spectra from the interaction of ultra-intense p-polarized laser pulses with overdense plasma targets. Furthermore, a theoretical model is proposed to explain the radiation mechanism that leads to attosecond pulse generation in the reflected field. It is shown that plasma harmonic emission affects the spectral characteristics, causing deviations in the harmonic power decay as compared with the so-called universal 8/3-decay. These deviations may occur, in a varying degree, as a consequence of the extent to which the plasma line and its harmonics affect the emission. It is also found a strong correlation of the emitted attosecond pulses with electron density structures within the plasma, responsible to generate intense localised electrostatic fields. A theoretical model based on the excitation of Langmuir waves by the re-entrant Brunel electron beams in the plasma and their electromagnetic interaction with the laser field is proposed to explain the flatter power spectral emission - described by a weaker 5/3 index and observed in numerical simulations - than that of the universal decay.

Relativistic electron mirrors from high intensity laser nanofoil interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiefer, Daniel

2012-12-21

The reflection of a laser pulse from a mirror moving close to the speed of light could in principle create an X-ray pulse with unprecedented high brightness owing to the increase in photon energy and accompanying temporal compression by a factor of 4γ{sup 2}, where γ is the Lorentz factor of the mirror. While this scheme is theoretically intriguingly simple and was first discussed by A. Einstein more than a century ago, the generation of a relativistic structure which acts as a mirror is demanding in many different aspects. Recently, the interaction of a high intensity laser pulse with a nanometer thin foil has raised great interest as it promises the creation of a dense, attosecond short, relativistic electron bunch capable of forming a mirror structure that scatters counter-propagating light coherently and shifts its frequency to higher photon energies. However, so far, this novel concept has been discussed only in theoretical studies using highly idealized interaction parameters. This thesis investigates the generation of a relativistic electron mirror from a nanometer foil with current state-of-the-art high intensity laser pulses and demonstrates for the first time the reflection from those structures in an experiment. To achieve this result, the electron acceleration from high intensity laser nanometer foil interactions was studied in a series of experiments using three inherently different high power laser systems and free-standing foils as thin as 3nm. A drastic increase in the electron energies was observed when reducing the target thickness from the micrometer to the nanometer scale. Quasi-monoenergetic electron beams were measured for the first time from ultrathin (≤5nm) foils, reaching energies up to ∝35MeV. The acceleration process was studied in simulations well-adapted to the experiments, indicating the transition from plasma to free electron dynamics as the target thickness is reduced to the few nanometer range. The experience gained from those

Laser pulse guiding and electron acceleration in the ablative capillary discharge plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kameshima, T.; Kotaki, H.; Kando, M.; Daito, I.; Kawase, K.; Fukuda, Y.; Homma, T.; Esirkepov, T. Zh.; Chen, L. M.; Kondo, S.; Bobrova, N. A.; Sasorov, P. V.; Bulanov, S. V.

2009-01-01

The results of experiments are presented for the laser electron acceleration in the ablative capillary discharge plasma. The plasma channel is formed by the discharge inside the ablative capillary. The intense short laser pulse is guided over a 4 cm length. The generated relativistic electrons show both the quasimonoenergetic and quasi-Maxwellian energy spectra, depending on laser and plasma parameters. The analysis of the inner walls of the capillaries that underwent several tens of shots shows that the wall deformation and blistering resulted from the discharge and laser pulse effects.

Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albright, B. J.; Yin, L.; Bowers, Kevin J.; Hegelich, B. M.; Flippo, K. A.; Kwan, T. J. T.; Fernandez, J. C.

2007-01-01

A new laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism has been identified in particle-in-cell simulations of high-contrast-ratio ultraintense lasers with very thin (10 s of nm) solid targets [Yin et al., Laser and Particle Beams 24, 291 (2006); Yin et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 072701 (2007)]. After a brief period of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), 'enhanced' TNSA follows. In this stage, the laser rapidly heats all the electrons in the target as the target thickness becomes comparable to the skin depth and enhanced acceleration of the ions results. Then, concomitant with the laser penetrating the target, a large accelerating longitudinal electric field is generated that co-moves with the ions. This last phase has been termed the laser 'breakout afterburner' (BOA). Earlier work suggested that the BOA was associated with the Buneman instability that efficiently converts energy from the drift of the electrons into the ions. In this Brief Communication, this conjecture is found to be consistent with particle-in-cell simulation data and the analytic dispersion relation for the relativistic Buneman instability

Principles of laser-plasma accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malka, V.; Mora, P.

2009-01-01

The continuing development of powerful laser systems has permitted to extend the interaction of laser beams with matter far into the relativistic domain in which extremely high electric and magnetic fields are generated. Thanks to these tremendous fields, that only plasma can support and sustain, new and compact approaches for producing energetic particle beams have been recently achieved (for example the bubble regime and the colliding laser pulses scheme). The incredible progress of these laser-plasma accelerators has allowed physicists to produce high quality beams of energetic radiation and particles. These beams have interesting properties such as shortness, brightness and spatial quality, and could lend themselves to applications in many fields, including medicine (radiotherapy, proton therapy, imaging), radiation biology (short-time-scale), chemistry (radiolysis), physics and material science (radiography, electron and photon diffraction), security (material inspection), and of course accelerator science. Stimulated by the advent of compact and powerful lasers, with moderate costs and high repetition rate, this research field has witnessed considerable growth in the past few years, and the promises of laser-plasma accelerators are in tremendous progress. The recent years in particular have seen spectacular progress in the acceleration of electrons and of ions, both in terms of energy and in terms of quality of the beams. (authors)

Relativistic nonlinear electrodynamics the QED vacuum and matter in super-strong radiation fields

CERN Document Server

Avetissian, Hamlet K

2016-01-01

This revised edition of the author’s classic 2006 text offers a comprehensively updated review of the field of relativistic nonlinear electrodynamics. It explores the interaction of strong and super-strong electromagnetic/laser radiation with the electromagnetic quantum vacuum and diverse types of matter – including free charged particles and antiparticles, acceleration beams, plasma and plasmous media.  The appearance of laser sources of relativistic and ultra-relativistic intensities over the last decade has stimulated investigation of a large class of processes under such super-strong radiation fields. Revisions for this second edition reflect these developments and the book includes new chapters on Bremsstrahlung and nonlinear absorption of superintense radiation in plasmas, the nonlinear interaction of relativistic atoms with intense laser radiation, nonlinear interaction of strong laser radiation with Graphene, and relativistic nonlinear phenomena in solid-plasma targets under supershort laser pul...

Laser cooled ion beams and strongly coupled plasmas for precision experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bussmann, Michael

2008-01-01

This cumulative thesis summarizes experimental and theoretical results on cooling of ion beams using single-frequency, single-mode tabletop laser systems. It consists of two parts. One deals with experiments on laser-cooling of ion beams at relativistic energies, the other with simulations of stopping and sympathetic cooling of ions for precision in-trap experiments. In the first part, experimental results are presented on laser-cooling of relativistic C 3+ ion beams at a beam energy of 122 MeV/u, performed at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI. The main results presented in this thesis include the first attainment of longitudinally space-charge dominated relativistic ion beams using pure laser-cooling. The second part lists theoretical results on stopping and sympathetic cooling of ions in a laser-cooled one-component plasma of singly charged 24 Mg ions, which are confined in a three-dimensional harmonic trap potential. (orig.)

Parametric decay of an extraordinary electromagnetic wave in relativistic plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorofeenko, V. G. [Institute for Advanced Studies (Austria); Krasovitskiy, V. B., E-mail: krasovit@mail.ru [Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (Russian Federation); Turikov, V. A. [Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (Russian Federation)

2015-03-15

Parametric instability of an extraordinary electromagnetic wave in plasma preheated to a relativistic temperature is considered. A set of self-similar nonlinear differential equations taking into account the electron “thermal” mass is derived and investigated. Small perturbations of the parameters of the heated plasma are analyzed in the linear approximation by using the dispersion relation determining the phase velocities of the fast and slow extraordinary waves. In contrast to cold plasma, the evanescence zone in the frequency range above the electron upper hybrid frequency vanishes and the asymptotes of both branches converge. Theoretical analysis of the set of nonlinear equations shows that the growth rate of decay instability increases with increasing initial temperature of plasma electrons. This result is qualitatively confirmed by numerical simulations of plasma heating by a laser pulse injected from vacuum.

En Route: next-generation laser-plasma-based electron accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidding, Bernhard

2008-05-01

Accelerating electrons to relativistic energies is of fundamental interest, especially in particle physics. Today's accelerator technology, however, is limited by the maximum electric fields which can be created. This thesis presents results on various mechanisms aiming at exploiting the fields in focussed laser pulses and plasma waves for electron acceleration, which can be orders of magnitude higher than with conventional accelerators. With relativistic, underdense laser-plasma-interaction, quasimonoenergetic electron bunches with energies up to ∼50 MeV and normalized emittances of the order of 5mmmrad have been generated. This was achieved by focussing the ∼80 fs, 1 J pulses of the JETI-laser at the FSU Jena to intensities of several 10 19 W=cm 2 into gas jets. The experimental observations could be explained via ''bubble acceleration'', which is based on self-injection and acceleration of electrons in a highly nonlinear breaking plasma wave. For the rst time, this bubble acceleration was achieved explicitly in the self-modulated laser wakefield regime (SMLWFA). This quasimonoenergetic SMLWFA-regime stands out by relaxing dramatically the requirements on the driving laser pulse necessary to trigger bubble acceleration. This is due to self-modulation of the laser pulse in high-density gas jets, leading to ultrashort laser pulse fragments capable of initiating bubble acceleration. Electron bunches with durations < or similar 5 fs can thus be created, which is at least an order of magnitude shorter than with conventional accelerator technology. In addition, more than one laser pulse fragment can be powerful enough to drive a bubble. Distinct double peaks have been observed in the electron spectra, indicating that two quasimonoenergetic electron bunches separated by only few tens of fs have formed. This is backed up by PIC-Simulations (Particle-in-Cell). These results underline the feasibility of the construction of small table-top accelerators, while at the

Self-focusing and Raman scattering of laser pulses in tenuous plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonsen, T.M. Jr.; Mora, P.

1993-01-01

The propagation and self-focusing of short, intense laser pulses in a tenuous plasma is studied both analytically and numerically. Specifically, pulses of length of the order of a few plasma wavelengths and of intensity, which is large enough for relativistic self-focusing to occur, are considered. Such pulses are of interest in various laser plasma acceleration schemes. It is found that these pulses are likely to be strongly affected by Raman instabilities. Two different regimes of instability, corresponding to large and small scattering angles, are found to be important. Small-angle scattering is perhaps the most severe since it couples strongly with relativistic self-focusing, leading the pulses to acquire significant axial and transverse structure in a time of the order of the self-focusing time. Thus it will be difficult to propagate smooth self-focused pulses through tenuous plasmas for distances longer than the Rayleigh length, except for pulse duration of the order of the plasma period

Electromagnetic solitons in degenerate relativistic electron–positron plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezhiani, V I; Shatashvili, N L; Tsintsadze, N L

2015-01-01

The existence of soliton-like electromagnetic (EM) distributions in a fully degenerate electron–positron plasma is studied applying relativistic hydrodynamic and Maxwell equations. For a circularly polarized wave it is found that the soliton solutions exist both in relativistic as well as nonrelativistic degenerate plasmas. Plasma density in the region of soliton pulse localization is reduced considerably. The possibility of plasma cavitation is also shown. (invited comment)

Coherent nonlinear backscattering by laser-plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, D.; Wilhelmsson, H.

1974-01-01

A theoretical analysis is carried out for the problem of coherent nonlinear backscattering of laser radiation by a high density plasma. A number of effects of direct interest to the DT-pellet fusion research is investigated. A simple physical description is introduced, which relies on a nonlinear potential formulation of the scattering equations. The simplicity and the unified nature of the approach enables one to evaluate and compare the influence on the radiation reflectivity of different effects, such as e.g. inhomogeneities, blow-off velocities, temperature gradients, laser band width and relativistic oscillatory velocities. The understanding of the role played by the various phenomena has consequently improved and it is thought that this approach should be useful for the interpretation of laser-plasma data obtained by computer simulation or laboratory experiments. The results may also be utilized to estimate how and to what extent one may avoid undesired anomalous reflection when planning new laser-plasma devices. (Auth.)

Relativistic current sheets in electron-positron plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zenitani, S.

2008-01-01

The current sheet structure with magnetic field reversal is one of the fundamental structure in space and astrophysical plasmas. It draws recent attention in high-energy astrophysical settings, where relativistic electron-positron plasmas are considered. In this talk we will review the recent progress of the physical processes in the relativistic current sheet. The kinetic stability of a single current sheet, the nonlinear behavior of these instabilities, and recent challenges on the multi current sheet systems are introduced. We will also introduce some problems of magnetic reconnection in these relativistic environments. (author)

Laser cooled ion beams and strongly coupled plasmas for precision experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bussmann, Michael

2008-03-17

This cumulative thesis summarizes experimental and theoretical results on cooling of ion beams using single-frequency, single-mode tabletop laser systems. It consists of two parts. One deals with experiments on laser-cooling of ion beams at relativistic energies, the other with simulations of stopping and sympathetic cooling of ions for precision in-trap experiments. In the first part, experimental results are presented on laser-cooling of relativistic C{sup 3+} ion beams at a beam energy of 122 MeV/u, performed at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI. The main results presented in this thesis include the first attainment of longitudinally space-charge dominated relativistic ion beams using pure laser-cooling. The second part lists theoretical results on stopping and sympathetic cooling of ions in a laser-cooled one-component plasma of singly charged {sup 24}Mg ions, which are confined in a three-dimensional harmonic trap potential. (orig.)

Dynamics of intense laser channel formation in an underdense plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, J.; Petrov, G.M.; Velikovich, A.L.

2005-01-01

Efficient guiding and propagation of multi-keV x-rays in plasmas can be achieved by dynamically modifying the media through plasma channel formation. The dynamics of plasma channel formation is studied in preformed underdense plasma irradiated by a high intensity laser. This is done by a two-dimensional model coupling laser propagation to a relativistic particle-in-cell model. For laser intensity of 10 20 W/cm 2 and a laser beam width of 5 μm the channel formation proceeds on a time scale of 60-70 fs in uniform plasma with density 10 18 cm -3 . The channel closes shortly after the rear of the laser pulse has passed due to Coulomb attraction from the ion core. Electron cavitation occurs only if the laser intensity is above a certain threshold intensity and the laser pulse duration exceeds 100 fs. X-ray generation and propagation is feasible for ultrarelativistic laser pulses with small beam width, less than ∼20 μm, and duration of more than 100 fs

7. Lasers and plasmas forum - ILP 2015 Forum. Book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mora, P.; Le Marec, A.; Ferri, S.; Corde, S.; Ceccotti, T.; Dozieres, M.; Pariente, G.; Azamoum, Y.; Cheriaux, G.; Baccou, C.; Romagnani, L.; Ravasio, A.; Masson-Laborde, P.E.; Laffite, S.; Neuville, C.; Casner, A.; Debayle, A.; Lobet, M.; Cosse, P.; Falize, E.; Taieb, R.; Rozmus, W.; Colaitis, A.; Boutoux, G.; Llor Aisa, E.; Ducret, J.E.; Le Pennec, M.; Barbrel, B.; Rouan, D.; Smets, R.; Seisson, G.; Boyer, S.; Massacrier, G.; Harmand, M.; Jacquemot, S.; Adam, J.C.; Boutoux, G.; Busquet, M.; Bychenkov, V. Yu.; Castan, A.; Chatagnier, A.; Chiaramello, M.; Debayle, A.; Deschaud, Basil; Do, A.; Fedeli, L.; Ferri, J.; Gangolf, T.; Gilles, D.; Vallet, A.; D'Humieres, E.; Khiar, B.; Grassi, A.; Hadj-Bachir, M.; Lee, P.; Lobet, M.; Loiseau, P.; Maitrallain, A.; Masson-Laborde, P.E.; Mollica, F.; Moreau, J.G.; Nicolas, Loic; Pain, J.-C.; Penninckx, D.; Riconda, C.; Ruyer, C.; Soleilhac, A.; Van Box Som, L.

2015-06-01

List of oral presentation abstracts: Effect of XUV lasers partial coherence on the characterization of their spectral properties; Study of ionization potential lowering and other statistical properties of coupled plasmas using numerical simulation and classical molecular dynamics; Plasma acceleration by particle beam; Electron acceleration by surface wave resonant excitation in relativistic regime; Optimization of a laser-generated X Ka source (Ti:Sa 10 TW - 100 Hz); Apollon 10 PW: description and status; The future of the research federation and of power laser facilities; Inertial confinement fusion and operation of 'rugby'-shape hohlraums; Chronometry and efficiency of direct attack implosion at OMEGA facility; Laser-plasma interaction physics in beam crossing configuration; NIF Discovery Science experiments for the study of the strongly nonlinear regime of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability; X opacity measurements in mid-Z dense plasmas with a new target design of indirect heating; Photoionization dynamics: Transition and scattering delays; Ion acceleration induced by laser-produced electrostatic shocks; Electron Transport and Related Non-equilibrium Distribution Functions in Hot Large Scale ICF Plasmas; Rate optimization of neutron-less fusion reactions initiated by laser-accelerated protons; Nonlinear laser-plasma interactions modeling at hydrodynamic scales: application to beam crossing energy exchange; Evolution of a Sedov-Taylor blast-wave: radiative, nonlocal heat transport and field effects; Measuring ultra-intense laser beams in space time; A few applications of the radiative and quantum electrodynamics effects in future extreme-intensity laser-matter experiments; X-rays imaging diagnostics for PETAL; Laboratory Astrophysics with High Power Lasers; Femto-second electron dynamics in the Warm dense Matter; The extra-solar planets; Study of HEDP magnetic reconnection; Opacity of solar-type stars inside: what (un)certainties?; Validation of solar

Effects of high energy photon emissions in laser generated ultra-relativistic plasmas: Real-time synchrotron simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallin, Erik [Department of Physics, Umeå University, SE–901 87 Umeå (Sweden); Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE–412 96 Göteborg (Sweden); Gonoskov, Arkady [Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE–412 96 Göteborg (Sweden); Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod 603950 (Russian Federation); University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod 603950 (Russian Federation); Marklund, Mattias [Department of Applied Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE–412 96 Göteborg (Sweden)

2015-03-15

We model the emission of high energy photons due to relativistic charged particle motion in intense laser-plasma interactions. This is done within a particle-in-cell code, for which high frequency radiation normally cannot be resolved due to finite time steps and grid size. A simple expression for the synchrotron radiation spectra is used together with a Monte-Carlo method for the emittance. We extend previous work by allowing for arbitrary fields, considering the particles to be in instantaneous circular motion due to an effective magnetic field. Furthermore, we implement noise reduction techniques and present validity estimates of the method. Finally, we perform a rigorous comparison to the mechanism of radiation reaction, and find the emitted energy to be in excellent agreement with the losses calculated using radiation reaction.

Laser plasma acceleration of electrons with multi-PW laser beams in the frame of CILEX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cros, B., E-mail: brigitte.cros@u-psud.fr [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Paradkar, B.S. [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Davoine, X. [CEA DAM DIF, Arpajon F-91297 (France); Chancé, A. [CEA IRFU-SACM, Gif-Sur-Yvette (France); Desforges, F.G. [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Dobosz-Dufrénoy, S. [CEA DSM-IRAMIS-SPAM, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Delerue, N. [LAL, CNRS and Universit Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Ju, J.; Audet, T.L.; Maynard, G. [LPGP, CNRS and Université Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Lobet, M.; Gremillet, L. [CEA DAM DIF, Arpajon F-91297 (France); Mora, P. [CPhT, CNRS and Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France); Schwindling, J.; Delferrière, O. [CEA IRFU-SACM, Gif-Sur-Yvette (France); Bruni, C.; Rimbault, C.; Vinatier, T. [LAL, CNRS and Universit Paris Sud, Orsay (France); Di Piazza, A. [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Grech, M. [LULI, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS, CEA, UPMC, Palaiseau (France); and others

2014-03-11

Laser plasma acceleration of electrons has progressed along with advances in laser technology. It is thus expected that the development in the near-future of multi-PW-class laser and facilities will enable a vast range of scientific opportunities for laser plasma acceleration research. On one hand, high peak powers can be used to explore the extremely high intensity regime of laser wakefield acceleration, producing for example large amounts of electrons in the GeV range or generating high energy photons. On the other hand, the available laser energy can be used in the quasi-linear regime to create accelerating fields in large volumes of plasma and study controlled acceleration in a plasma stage of externally injected relativistic particles, either electrons or positrons. In the frame of the Centre Interdisciplinaire de la Lumière EXtrême (CILEX), the Apollon-10P laser will deliver two beams at the 1 PW and 10 PW levels, in ultra-short (>15fs) pulses, to a target area dedicated to electron acceleration studies, such as the exploration of the non-linear regimes predicted theoretically, or multi-stage laser plasma acceleration.

Laser Requirements for High-Order Harmonic Generation by Relativistic Plasma Singularities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander S. Pirozhkov

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We discuss requirements on relativistic-irradiance (I0 > 1018 W/cm2 high-power (multi-terawatt ultrashort (femtosecond lasers for efficient generation of high-order harmonics in gas jet targets in a new regime discovered recently (Pirozhkov et al., 2012. Here, we present the results of several experimental campaigns performed with different irradiances, analyse the obtained results and derive the required laser parameters. In particular, we found that the root mean square (RMS wavefront error should be smaller than ~100 nm (~λ/8. Further, the angular dispersion should be kept considerably smaller than the diffraction divergence, i.e., μrad level for 100–300-mm beam diameters. The corresponding angular chirp should not exceed 10−2 μrad/nm for a 40-nm bandwidth. We show the status of the J-KAREN-P laser (Kiriyama et al., 2015; Pirozhkov et al., 2017 and report on the progress towards satisfying these requirements.

Relativistic plasma dielectric tensor evaluation based on the exact plasma dispersion functions concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castejon, F.; Pavlov, S. S.

2006-01-01

The fully relativistic plasma dielectric tensor for any wave and plasma parameter is estimated on the basis of the exact plasma dispersion functions concept. The inclusion of this concept allows one to write the tensor in a closed and compact form and to reduce the tensor evaluation to the calculation of those functions. The main analytical properties of these functions are studied and two methods are given for their evaluation. The comparison between the exact dielectric tensor with the weakly relativistic approximation, widely used presently in plasma waves calculations, is given as well as the range of plasma temperature, harmonic number, and propagation angle in which the weakly relativistic approximation is valid

Double Relativistic Electron Accelerating Mirror

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saltanat Sadykova

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, the possibility of generation of thin dense relativistic electron layers is shown using the analytical and numerical modeling of laser pulse interaction with ultra-thin layers. It was shown that the maximum electron energy can be gained by optimal tuning between the target width, intensity and laser pulse duration. The optimal parameters were obtained from a self-consistent system of Maxwell equations and the equation of motion of electron layer. For thin relativistic electron layers, the gaining of maximum electron energies requires a second additional overdense plasma layer, thus cutting the laser radiation off the plasma screen at the instant of gaining the maximum energy (DREAM-schema.

Realistic PIC modelling of laser-plasma interaction: a direct implicit method with adjustable damping and high order weight functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drouin, M.

2009-11-01

This research thesis proposes a new formulation of the relativistic implicit direct method, based on the weak formulation of the wave equation which is solved by means of a Newton algorithm. The first part of this thesis deals with the properties of the explicit particle-in-cell (PIC) methods: properties and limitations of an explicit PIC code, linear analysis of a numerical plasma, numerical heating phenomenon, interest of a higher order interpolation function, and presentation of two applications in high density relativistic laser-plasma interaction. The second and main part of this report deals with adapting the direct implicit method to laser-plasma interaction: presentation of the state of the art, formulating of the direct implicit method, resolution of the wave equation. The third part concerns various numerical and physical validations of the ELIXIRS code: case of laser wave propagation in vacuum, demonstration of the adjustable damping which is a characteristic of the proposed algorithm, influence of space-time discretization on energy conservation, expansion of a thermal plasma in vacuum, two cases of plasma-beam unsteadiness in relativistic regime, and then a case of the overcritical laser-plasma interaction

Progress of laser-plasma interaction simulations with the particle-in-cell code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakagami, Hitoshi; Kishimoto, Yasuaki; Sentoku, Yasuhiko; Taguchi, Toshihiro

2005-01-01

As the laser-plasma interaction is a non-equilibrium, non-linear and relativistic phenomenon, we must introduce a microscopic method, namely, the relativistic electromagnetic PIC (Particle-In-Cell) simulation code. The PIC code requires a huge number of particles to validate simulation results, and its task is very computation-intensive. Thus simulation researches by the PIC code have been progressing along with advances in computer technology. Recently, parallel computers with tremendous computational power have become available, and thus we can perform three-dimensional PIC simulations for the laser-plasma interaction to investigate laser fusion. Some simulation results are shown with figures. We discuss a recent trend of large-scale PIC simulations that enable direct comparison between experimental facts and computational results. We also discharge/lightning simulations by the extended PIC code, which include various atomic and relaxation processes. (author)

Design considerations for the use of laser-plasma accelerators for advanced space radiation studies

Science.gov (United States)

Königstein, T.; Karger, O.; Pretzler, G.; Rosenzweig, J. B.; Hidding, B.; Hidding

2012-08-01

We present design considerations for the use of laser-plasma accelerators for mimicking space radiation and testing space-grade electronics. This novel application takes advantage of the inherent ability of laser-plasma accelerators to produce particle beams with exponential energy distribution, which is a characteristic shared with the hazardous relativistic electron flux present in the radiation belts of planets such as Earth, Saturn and Jupiter. Fundamental issues regarding laser-plasma interaction parameters, beam propagation, flux development, and experimental setup are discussed.

Spectral characteristics of a relativistic plasma microwave generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzelev, M.V.; Loza, O.T.; Ponomarev, A.V.; Rukhadze, A.A.; Strelkov, P.S.; Ul'yanov, D.K.; Shkvarunets, A.G.

1996-01-01

The radiation spectrum of a broad-band relativistic plasma microwave generator, in which a hollow relativistic electron beam is injected into a plasma waveguide consisting of a hollow plasma within a round metallic waveguide is measured experimentally. The radiation spectrum is measured using a wide-aperture calorimetric spectrometer in the frequency range 3-32 GHz. The influence of the plasma density and the beam-plasma gap on the radiation spectrum is investigated. The amplification of the noise electromagnetic radiation when a relativistic electron beam is injected into the plasma waveguide is calculated on the basis of the nonlinear theory. The theory predicts passage from a one-particle generation regime to a collective regime and narrowing of the radiation spectrum as the plasma density and the gap between the hollow beam and the plasma increases. A comparison of the measurement results with the nonlinear theory accounts for several features of the measured spectrum. However, the predicted change in the generation regimes is not observed experimentally. Qualitative arguments are advanced, which explain the observed phenomena and call for further theoretical and experimental research, are advanced

Probing plasma wakefields using electron bunches generated from a laser wakefield accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C. J.; Wan, Y.; Guo, B.; Hua, J. F.; Pai, C.-H.; Li, F.; Zhang, J.; Ma, Y.; Wu, Y. P.; Xu, X. L.; Mori, W. B.; Chu, H.-H.; Wang, J.; Lu, W.; Joshi, C.

2018-04-01

We show experimental results of probing the electric field structure of plasma wakes by using femtosecond relativistic electron bunches generated from a laser wakefield accelerator. Snapshots of laser-driven linear wakes in plasmas with different densities and density gradients are captured. The spatiotemporal evolution of the wake in a plasma density up-ramp is recorded. Two parallel wakes driven by a laser with a main spot and sidelobes are identified in the experiment and reproduced in simulations. The capability of this new method for capturing the electron- and positron-driven wakes is also shown via 3D particle-in-cell simulations.

Relativistic solitary waves modulating long laser pulses in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez-Arriaga, G; Siminos, E; Lefebvre, E

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the existence of solitary electromagnetic waves trapped in a self-generated Langmuir wave and embedded in an infinitely long circularly polarized electromagnetic wave propagating through a plasma. From a mathematical point of view they are exact solutions of the one-dimensional relativistic cold fluid plasma model with nonvanishing boundary conditions. Under the assumption of travelling wave solutions with velocity V and vector potential frequency ω, the fluid model is reduced to a Hamiltonian system. The solitary waves are homoclinic (grey solitons) or heteroclinic (dark solitons) orbits to fixed points. Using a dynamical systems description of the Hamiltonian system and a spectral method, we identify a large variety of solitary waves, including asymmetric ones, discuss their disappearance for certain parameter values and classify them according to (i) grey or dark character, (ii) the number of humps of the vector potential envelope and (iii) their symmetries. The solutions come in continuous families in the parametric V-ω plane and extend up to velocities that approach the speed of light. The stability of certain types of grey solitary waves is investigated with the aid of particle-in-cell simulations that demonstrate their propagation for a few tens of the inverse of the plasma frequency.

Laser dynamics in transversely inhomogeneous plasma and its relevance to wakefield acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, V. B.; Vieira, J.; Silva, L. O.; Nam, Chang Hee

2018-05-01

We present full set of coupled equations describing the weakly relativistic dynamics of a laser in a plasma with transverse inhomogeneity. We apply variational principle approach to obtain these coupled equations governing laser spot-size, transverse wavenumber, curvature, transverse centroid, etc. We observe that such plasma inhomogeneity can lead to stronger self-focusing. We further discuss the guiding conditions of laser in parabolic plasma channels. With the help of multi-dimensional particle in cell simulations the study is extended to the blowout regime of laser wakefield acceleration to show laser as well as self-injected electron bunch steering in plasma to generate unconventional particle trajectories. Our simulation results demonstrate that such transverse inhomogeneities due to asymmetric self focusing lead to asymmetric bubble excitation, thus inducing off-axis self-injection.

Efficient second- and third-harmonic radiation generation from relativistic laser-plasma interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Mamta; Gupta, D. N., E-mail: dngupta@physics.du.ac.in [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110 007 (India); Suk, H. [Department of Physics and Photon Science, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 500 712 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

We propose an idea to enhance the efficiency of second- and third-harmonic generation by considering the amplitude-modulation of the fundamental laser pulse. A short-pulse laser of finite spot size is modeled as amplitude modulated in time. Amplitude-modulation of fundamental laser contributes in quiver velocity of the plasma electrons and produces the strong plasma-density perturbations, thereby increase in current density at second- and third-harmonic frequency. In a result, the conversion efficiency of harmonic generation increases significantly. Power conversion efficiency of harmonic generation process is the increasing function of the amplitude-modulation parameter of the fundamental laser beam. Harmonic power generated by an amplitude modulated laser is many folds higher than the power obtained in an ordinary case.

Efficient second- and third-harmonic radiation generation from relativistic laser-plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Mamta; Gupta, D. N.; Suk, H.

2015-01-01

We propose an idea to enhance the efficiency of second- and third-harmonic generation by considering the amplitude-modulation of the fundamental laser pulse. A short-pulse laser of finite spot size is modeled as amplitude modulated in time. Amplitude-modulation of fundamental laser contributes in quiver velocity of the plasma electrons and produces the strong plasma-density perturbations, thereby increase in current density at second- and third-harmonic frequency. In a result, the conversion efficiency of harmonic generation increases significantly. Power conversion efficiency of harmonic generation process is the increasing function of the amplitude-modulation parameter of the fundamental laser beam. Harmonic power generated by an amplitude modulated laser is many folds higher than the power obtained in an ordinary case

Electron Acceleration and the Propagation of Ultrashort High-Intensity Laser Pulses in Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xiaofang; Krishnan, Mohan; Saleh, Ned; Wang, Haiwen; Umstadter, Donald

2000-01-01

Reported are interactions of high-intensity laser pulses (λ=810 nm and I≤3x10 18 W /cm 2 ) with plasmas in a new parameter regime, in which the pulse duration (τ=29 fs ) corresponds to 0.6-2.6 plasma periods. Relativistic filamentation is observed to cause laser-beam breakup and scattering of the beam out of the vacuum propagation angle. A beam of megaelectronvolt electrons with divergence angle as small as 1 degree sign is generated in the forward direction, which is correlated to the growth of the relativistic filamentation. Raman scattering, however, is found to be much less than previous long-pulse results. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Transmutation prospect of long-lived nuclear waste induced by high-charge electron beam from laser plasma accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X. L.; Xu, Z. Y.; Luo, W.; Lu, H. Y.; Zhu, Z. C.; Yan, X. Q.

2017-09-01

Photo-transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste induced by a high-charge relativistic electron beam (e-beam) from a laser plasma accelerator is demonstrated. A collimated relativistic e-beam with a high charge of approximately 100 nC is produced from high-intensity laser interaction with near-critical-density (NCD) plasma. Such e-beam impinges on a high-Z convertor and then radiates energetic bremsstrahlung photons with flux approaching 1011 per laser shot. Taking a long-lived radionuclide 126Sn as an example, the resulting transmutation reaction yield is the order of 109 per laser shot, which is two orders of magnitude higher than obtained from previous studies. It is found that at lower densities, a tightly focused laser irradiating relatively longer NCD plasmas can effectively enhance the transmutation efficiency. Furthermore, the photo-transmutation is generalized by considering mixed-nuclide waste samples, which suggests that the laser-accelerated high-charge e-beam could be an efficient tool to transmute long-lived nuclear waste.

Plasma waves in hot relativistic beam-plasma systems: Pt. 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magneville, A.

1990-01-01

Dispersion relations of plasma waves in a beam-plasma system are computed in the general case where the plasma and beam temperatures, and the velocity of the beam, may be relativistic. The two asymptotic temperature cases, and different contributions of plasma or beam particles to wave dispersion are considered. (author)

Research on imploded plasma heating by short pulse laser for fast ignition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodama, R.; Kitagawa, Y.; Mima, K.

2001-01-01

Since the peta watt module (PWM) laser was constructed in 1995, investigated are heating processes of imploded plasmas by intense short pulse lasers. In order to heat the dense plasma locally, a heating laser pulse should be guided into compressed plasmas as deeply as possible. Since the last IAEA Fusion Conference, the feasibility of fast ignition has been investigated by using the short pulse GEKKO MII glass laser and the PWM laser with GEKKO XII laser. We found that relativistic electrons are generated efficiently in a preformed plasma to heat dense plasmas. The coupling efficiency of short pulse laser energy to a solid density plasma is 40% when no plasmas are pre-formed, and 20% when a large scale plasma is formed by a long pulse laser pre-irradiation. The experimental results are confirmed by numerical simulations using the simulation code 'MONET' which stands for the Monte-Carlo Electron Transport code developed at Osaka. In the GEKKO XII and PWM laser experiments, intense heating pulses are injected into imploded plasmas. As a result of the injection of heating pulse, it is found that high energy electrons and ions could penetrate into imploded core plasmas to enhance neutron yield by factor 3∼5. (author)

Compact tunable Compton x-ray source from laser-plasma accelerator and plasma mirror

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Hai-En; Wang, Xiaoming; Shaw, Joseph M.; Li, Zhengyan; Zgadzaj, Rafal; Henderson, Watson; Downer, M. C.; Arefiev, Alexey V.; Zhang, Xi; Khudik, V.; Shvets, G.

2015-01-01

We present an in-depth experimental-computational study of the parameters necessary to optimize a tunable, quasi-monoenergetic, efficient, low-background Compton backscattering (CBS) x-ray source that is based on the self-aligned combination of a laser-plasma accelerator (LPA) and a plasma mirror (PM). The main findings are (1) an LPA driven in the blowout regime by 30 TW, 30 fs laser pulses produce not only a high-quality, tunable, quasi-monoenergetic electron beam, but also a high-quality, relativistically intense (a 0 ∼ 1) spent drive pulse that remains stable in profile and intensity over the LPA tuning range. (2) A thin plastic film near the gas jet exit retro-reflects the spent drive pulse efficiently into oncoming electrons to produce CBS x-rays without detectable bremsstrahlung background. Meanwhile, anomalous far-field divergence of the retro-reflected light demonstrates relativistic “denting” of the PM. Exploiting these optimized LPA and PM conditions, we demonstrate quasi-monoenergetic (50% FWHM energy spread), tunable (75–200 KeV) CBS x-rays, characteristics previously achieved only on more powerful laser systems by CBS of a split-off, counter-propagating pulse. Moreover, laser-to-x-ray photon conversion efficiency (∼6 × 10 −12 ) exceeds that of any previous LPA-based quasi-monoenergetic Compton source. Particle-in-cell simulations agree well with the measurements

Self-focusing and guiding of short laser pulses in ionizing gases and plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esarey, E.; Sprangle, P.; Krall, J.; Ting, A.

1997-01-01

The propagation of intense laser pulses in gases and plasmas is relevant to a wide range of applications, including laser-driven accelerators, laser-plasma channeling, harmonic generation, supercontinuum generation, X-ray lasers, and laser-fusion schemes. Here, several features of intense, short-pulse (≤1 ps) laser propagation in gases undergoing ionization and in plasmas are reviewed, discussed, and analyzed. The wave equations for laser pulse propagation in a gas undergoing ionization and in a plasma are derived. The source-dependent expansion method is discussed, which is a general method for solving the paraxial wave equation with nonlinear source terms. In gases, the propagation of high-power (near the critical power) laser pulses is considered including the effects of diffraction, nonlinear self-focusing, ionization, and plasma generation. Self-guided solutions and the stability of these solutions are discussed. In plasmas, optical guiding by relativistic effects, ponderomotive effects, and preformed density channels is considered. The self-consistent plasma response is discussed, including plasma wave effects and instabilities such as self-modulation. Recent experiments on the guiding of laser pulses in gases and in plasmas are briefly summarized

Conductivity of a relativistic plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braams, B.J.; Karney, C.F.F.

1989-03-01

The collision operator for a relativistic plasma is reformulated in terms of an expansion in spherical harmonics. This formulation is used to calculate the electrical conductivity. 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Conductivity of a relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braams, B.J.; Karney, C.F.F.

1989-03-01

The collision operator for a relativistic plasma is reformulated in terms of an expansion in spherical harmonics. This formulation is used to calculate the electrical conductivity. 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab

Relativistic simulation of the Vlasov equation for plasma expansion into vacuum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Abbasi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available   In this study, relativistic Vlasov simulation of plasma for expansion of collisionless plasma for into vacuum is presented. The model is based on 1+1 dimensional phase space and electrostatic approximation. For this purpose, the electron dynamics is studied by the relativistic Vlasov equation. Regardless of the ions temperature, fluid equations are used for their dynamics. The initial electrons distribution function is the relativistic Maxwellian. The results show that due to the electrons relativistic temperature, the process of the plasma expansion takes place faster, the resulting electric field is stronger and the ions are accelerated to higher velocities, in comparison to the non-relativistic case.

A novel nuclear pyrometry for the characterization of high-energy bremsstrahlung and electrons produced in relativistic laser-plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guenther, M. M.; Sonnabend, K.; Harres, K.; Roth, M.; Brambrink, E.; Vogt, K.; Bagnoud, V.

2011-01-01

We present a novel nuclear activation-based method for the investigation of high-energy bremsstrahlung produced by electrons above 7 MeV generated by a high-power laser. The main component is a novel high-density activation target that is a pseudo alloy of several selected isotopes with different photo-disintegration reaction thresholds. The gamma spectrum emitted by the activated targets is used for the reconstruction of the bremsstrahlung spectrum using an analysis method based on Penfold and Leiss. This nuclear activation-based technique allows for the determination of the number of bremsstrahlung photons per energy bin in a wide range energy without any anticipated fit procedures. Furthermore, the analysis method also allows for the determination of the absolute yield, the energy distribution, and the temperature of high-energy electrons at the relativistic laser-plasma interaction region. The pyrometry is sensitive to energies above 7 MeV only, i.e., this diagnostic is insensitive to any low-energy processes.

A novel nuclear pyrometry for the characterization of high-energy bremsstrahlung and electrons produced in relativistic laser-plasma interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guenther, M. M.; Sonnabend, K.; Harres, K.; Roth, M. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Schlossgartenstr. 9, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, D-64289 Darmstadt (Germany); Brambrink, E. [Laboratoire pour l' Utilisation des Lasers Intenses, UMR 7605 CNRS-CEA-Ecole Polytechnique-Universite Paris VI, F-91128 Palaiseau (France); Vogt, K.; Bagnoud, V. [GSI - Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Planckstr. 1, D-64291 Darmstadt (Germany)

2011-08-15

We present a novel nuclear activation-based method for the investigation of high-energy bremsstrahlung produced by electrons above 7 MeV generated by a high-power laser. The main component is a novel high-density activation target that is a pseudo alloy of several selected isotopes with different photo-disintegration reaction thresholds. The gamma spectrum emitted by the activated targets is used for the reconstruction of the bremsstrahlung spectrum using an analysis method based on Penfold and Leiss. This nuclear activation-based technique allows for the determination of the number of bremsstrahlung photons per energy bin in a wide range energy without any anticipated fit procedures. Furthermore, the analysis method also allows for the determination of the absolute yield, the energy distribution, and the temperature of high-energy electrons at the relativistic laser-plasma interaction region. The pyrometry is sensitive to energies above 7 MeV only, i.e., this diagnostic is insensitive to any low-energy processes.

The physics of megajoule, large-scale, and ultrafast short-scale laser plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, E.M.

1992-01-01

Recent advances in laser science and technology have opened new possibilities for the study of high energy density plasma physics. The advances include techniques to control the laser spatial and temporal coherence, and the development of laser architectures and optical materials that have led to the demonstration of compact, short pulse (τ≤10 -12 sec) high brightness lasers, capable of irradiating plasmas with intensities ≥10 18 W/cm 2 . Experiments with reduced laser coherence have shown a substantial decrease in laser-driven parametric instabilities and have extended the parameter range where inverse bremsstrahlung absorption is the dominant coupling process. Beam smoothing with short wavelength lasers should result in inverse bremsstrahlung dominated coupling in the irradiance parameter regimes of the millimeter scale-length plasmas envisioned for the megajoule class lasers for ignition and gain in inertial fusion. In addition new regimes of laser--plasma coupling will become experimentally accessible when plasmas are irradiated with I≥10 18 W/cm 2 . Relativistic effects, extreme profile modification, and electrons heated to energies exceeding 1 MeV are several of the phenomena that are expected. Numerous applications in basic and applied plasma physics will result from these new capabilities

Optically-ionized plasma recombination x-ray lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amendt, P.; Eder, D.C.; Wilks, S.C.; Dunning, M.J.; Keane, C.J.

1991-01-01

Design studies for recombination x-ray lasers based on plasmas ionized by high intensity, short pulse optical lasers are presented. Transient lasing on n = 3 to n = 2 transitions in Lithium-like Neon allows for moderately short wavelengths (≤ 100 angstrom) without requiring ionizing intensities associated with relativistic electron quiver energies. The electron energy distribution following the ionizing pulse affects directly the predicted gains for this resonance transition. Efficiencies of 10 -6 or greater are found for plasma temperatures in the vicinity of 40 eV. Simulation studies of parametric heating phenomena relating to stimulated Raman and Compton scattering are presented. For electron densities less than about 2.5 x 10 20 cm -3 and peak driver intensity of 2 x 10 17 W/cm 2 at 0.25 μm with pulse length of 100 fsec, the amount of electron heating is found to be marginally significant. For Lithium-like Aluminum, the required relativistic ionizing intensity gives excessive electron heating and reduced efficiency, thereby rendering this scheme impractical for generating shorter wavelength lasing (≤ 50 angstrom) in the transient case. Following the transient lasing phase, a slow hydrodynamic expansion into the surrounding cool plasma is accompanied by quasi-static gain on the n = 4 to n = 3 transition in Lithium-like Neon. Parametric heating effects on gain optimization in this regime are also discussed. 18 refs., 6 figs

Effect of radiation damping on the interaction of ultra-intense laser pulses with an overdense plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhidkov, Alexei; Koga, James; Sasaki, Akira; Ueshima, Yutaka

2001-01-01

The effect of radiation damping on the interaction of an ultra-intense laser pulse with an overdense plasma is studied via relativistic particle-in-cell simulation. The calculation is performed for a Cu solid slab including ionization. We find a strong effect from radiation damping on the electron energy cut-off at about 150 MeV and on the absorption of a laser pulse with an intensity I=5x10 22 W/cm 2 and duration of 20 fs. Hot electrons reradiate more then 10% of the laser energy during the laser pulse. With the laser intensity, the energy loss due to the radiation damping increases as I 3 . In addition, we observe that the laser pulse may not propagate in the plasma even if ω pl 2 /ω 2 γ<1. The increase of skin depth with the laser intensity due to relativistic effects gives rise to the absorption efficiency. (author)

Laser vacuum acceleration of a relativistic electron bunch

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glazyrin, I V; Karpeev, A V; Kotova, O G; Nazarov, K S [E.I. Zababakhin All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Technical Physics, Russian Federal Nuclear Centre, Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk region (Russian Federation); Bychenkov, V Yu [P N Lebedev Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2015-06-30

With regard to the problem of laser acceleration of a relativistic electron bunch we present a scheme of its vacuum acceleration directly by a relativistic intensity laser pulse. The energy of the electron bunch injected into the laser pulse leading edge increases during its coaxial movement to a thin, pulse-reflecting target. The laser-accelerated electrons continue to move free forward, passing through the target. The study of this acceleration scheme in the three-dimensional geometry is verified in a numerical simulation by the particle-in-cell method, which showed that the energy of a part of the electrons can increase significantly compared to the initial one. Restrictions are discussed, which impose limiting values of energy and total charge of accelerated electrons. (superstrong light fields)

Recent progresses in relativistic beam-plasma instability theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Bret

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Beam-plasma instabilities are a key physical process in many astrophysical phenomena. Within the fireball model of Gamma ray bursts, they first mediate a relativistic collisionless shock before they produce upstream the turbulence needed for the Fermi acceleration process. While non-relativistic systems are usually governed by flow-aligned unstable modes, relativistic ones are likely to be dominated by normally or even obliquely propagating waves. After reviewing the basis of the theory, results related to the relativistic kinetic regime of the poorly-known oblique unstable modes will be presented. Relevant systems besides the well-known electron beam-plasma interaction are presented, and it is shown how the concept of modes hierarchy yields a criterion to assess the proton to electron mass ratio in Particle in cell simulations.

Relativistic self-focusing of intense laser beam in thermal collisionless quantum plasma with ramped density profile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Zare

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Propagation of a Gaussian x-ray laser beam has been analyzed in collisionless thermal quantum plasma with considering a ramped density profile. In this density profile due to the increase in the plasma density, an earlier and stronger self-focusing effect is noticed where the beam width oscillates with higher frequency and less amplitude. Moreover, the effect of the density profile slope and the initial plasma density on the laser propagation has been studied. It is found that, by increasing the initial density and the ramp slope, the laser beam focuses faster with less oscillation amplitude, smaller laser spot size and more oscillations. Furthermore, a comparison is made among the laser self-focusing in thermal quantum plasma, cold quantum plasma and classical plasma. It is realized that the laser self-focusing in the quantum plasma becomes stronger in comparison with the classical regime.

Present status of the theoretical relativistic plasma SHF electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuzelev, M.V.; Rukhadze, A.A.

2000-01-01

Paper presents a review of theoretical investigations into powerful sources of SHF waves grounded on the forced emission of relativistic electron beams in plasma wave guides and resonator. Emission sources operating under amplification of a certain inlet signal and under generation mode were studied. Two mechanisms of forced emission: resonance Cherenkov radiation of relativistic electron beams in plasma and nonresonance Pierce emission resulting from evolution of high-frequency Pierce instability, were studied. Paper discusses theoretical problems only, all evaluations and calculations are made for the parameters of the exact experiments, the theoretical results are compared with the available experimental data. Factors affecting formation of spectrum of waves excited by relativistic electron beam in plasma systems are discussed [ru

Isolated elliptically polarized attosecond soft X-ray with high-brilliance using polarization gating of harmonics from relativistic plasmas at oblique incidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zi-Yu; Li, Xiao-Ya; Li, Bo-Yuan; Chen, Min; Liu, Feng

2018-02-19

The production of intense isolated attosecond pulse is a major goal in ultrafast research. Recent advances in high harmonic generation from relativistic plasma mirrors under oblique incidence interactions gave rise to photon-rich attosecond pulses with circular or elliptical polarization. However, to achieve an isolated elliptical attosecond pulse via polarization gating using currently available long driving pulses remains a challenge, because polarization gating of high harmonics from relativistic plasmas is assumed only possible at normal or near-normal incidence. Here we numerically demonstrate a scheme around this problem. We show that via control of plasma dynamics by managing laser polarization, it is possible to gate an intense single attosecond pulse with high ellipticity extending to the soft X-ray regime at oblique incidence. This approach thus paves the way towards a powerful tool enabling high-time-resolution probe of dynamics of chiral systems and magnetic materials with current laser technology.

Plasma based charged-particle accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bingham, R; Mendonca, J T; Shukla, P K

2004-01-01

Studies of charged-particle acceleration processes remain one of the most important areas of research in laboratory, space and astrophysical plasmas. In this paper, we present the underlying physics and the present status of high gradient and high energy plasma accelerators. We will focus on the acceleration of charged particles to relativistic energies by plasma waves that are created by intense laser and particle beams. The generation of relativistic plasma waves by intense lasers or electron beams in plasmas is important in the quest for producing ultra-high acceleration gradients for accelerators. With the development of compact short pulse high brightness lasers and electron positron beams, new areas of studies for laser/particle beam-matter interactions is opening up. A number of methods are being pursued vigorously to achieve ultra-high acceleration gradients. These include the plasma beat wave accelerator mechanism, which uses conventional long pulse (∼100 ps) modest intensity lasers (I ∼ 10 14 -10 16 W cm -2 ), the laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA), which uses the new breed of compact high brightness lasers ( 10 18 W cm -2 , the self-modulated LWFA concept, which combines elements of stimulated Raman forward scattering, and electron acceleration by nonlinear plasma waves excited by relativistic electron and positron bunches. In the ultra-high intensity regime, laser/particle beam-plasma interactions are highly nonlinear and relativistic, leading to new phenomena such as the plasma wakefield excitation for particle acceleration, relativistic self-focusing and guiding of laser beams, high-harmonic generation, acceleration of electrons, positrons, protons and photons. Fields greater than 1 GV cm -1 have been generated with particles being accelerated to 200 MeV over a distance of millimetre. Plasma wakefields driven by positron beams at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center facility have accelerated the tail of the positron beam. In the near future

Cooling rates and intensity limitations for laser-cooled ions at relativistic energies

Science.gov (United States)

Eidam, Lewin; Boine-Frankenheim, Oliver; Winters, Danyal

2018-04-01

The ability of laser cooling for relativistic ion beams is investigated. For this purpose, the excitation of relativistic ions with a continuous wave and a pulsed laser is analyzed, utilizing the optical Bloch equations. The laser cooling force is derived in detail and its scaling with the relativistic factor γ is discussed. The cooling processes with a continuous wave and a pulsed laser system are investigated. Optimized cooling scenarios and times are obtained in order to determine the required properties of the laser and the ion beam for the planed experiments. The impact of beam intensity effects, like intrabeam scattering and space charge are analyzed. Predictions from simplified models are compared to particle-in-cell simulations and are found to be in good agreement. Finally two realistic example cases of Carbon ions in the ESR and relativistic Titanium ions in SIS100 are compared in order to discuss prospects for future laser cooling experiments.

Enhanced propagation for relativistic laser pulses in inhomogeneous plasmas using hollow channels.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, J; d'Humières, E; Sentoku, Y; Antici, P; Atzeni, S; Bandulet, H; Depierreux, S; Labaune, C; Schiavi, A

2010-11-26

The influence of long (several millimeters) and hollow channels, bored in inhomogeneous ionized plasma by using a long pulse laser beam, on the propagation of short, ultraintense laser pulses has been studied. Compared to the case without a channel, propagation in channels significantly improves beam transmission and maintains a beam quality close to propagation in vacuum. In addition, the growth of the forward-Raman instability is strongly reduced. These results are beneficial for the direct scheme of the fast ignitor concept of inertial confinement fusion as we demonstrate, in fast-ignition-relevant conditions, that with such channels laser energy can be carried through increasingly dense plasmas close to the fuel core with minimal losses.

Plasma wave amplitude measurement created by guided laser wakefield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wojda, Franck

2010-01-01

The interaction of an intense laser pulse of short duration with a plasma produces a plasma wave with large amplitude in its wake, which is associated with a longitudinal electric field. It can be used to accelerate relativistic electrons injected into the wave to energies in the GeV range over distances of the order of a few centimeters, short compared to acceleration lengths in conventional accelerators. The control of the electron beam characteristics during the acceleration process is fundamental for achieving a usable laser-plasma acceleration stage. The main result of this thesis is the creation and characterization of a plasma wave in a weakly nonlinear regime over a length of several centimeters. Capillary tubes are used to guide the laser beam over these distances, while maintaining a large enough intensity (∼ 10 17 W/cm 2 ). The guided laser beam ionizes the gas in the tube and creates the plasma wave. A diagnostic based on the modification of the laser pulse spectrum was used to determine the amplitude of the plasma wave along the tube. The amplitude of the plasma wave was studied as a function of gas filling pressure, length of the capillary and laser energy. Experimental results are compared; they are in excellent agreement with analytical results and modeling. They show that the electric field associated with the plasma wave is between 1 and 10 GV/m over a length of up to 8 cm. This work has demonstrated the ability to create a controlled plasma wave in a weakly nonlinear regime. (author)

Physical processes in relativistic plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svensson, R.

1984-01-01

The continuum emission in many active galactic nuclei (AGNs) extend to 100 keV and beyond (e.g. Rothschild et al. 1983). In thermal models of the continuum emission this implies temperatures above 10 9 K or kT of order mc 2 . In such a plasma the electrons are at least mildly relativistic and furthermore the particles and the photons are energetic enough to produce electron-positron pairs. The physics of such hot plasmas has only recently been studied in any detail and here we review the results of those studies. Significant electron-positron pair production may also occur in non-thermal models of the continuum emission if the optical depth to photon-photon pair production is greater than unity. We review the few results obtained regarding this interesting but not very well studied possibility. First, however, we briefly discuss the processes taking place in relativistic plasmas and the standard models for the continuum emission from AGNs. We then summarize the effects pair production have on these models and the observational implications of the presence of electron-positron pairs. (orig./WL)

Strong field interaction of laser radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pukhov, Alexander

2003-01-01

The Review covers recent progress in laser-matter interaction at intensities above 10 18 W cm -2 . At these intensities electrons swing in the laser pulse with relativistic energies. The laser electric field is already much stronger than the atomic fields, and any material is instantaneously ionized, creating plasma. The physics of relativistic laser-plasma is highly non-linear and kinetic. The best numerical tools applicable here are particle-in-cell (PIC) codes, which provide the most fundamental plasma model as an ensemble of charged particles. The three-dimensional (3D) PIC code Virtual Laser-Plasma Laboratory runs on a massively parallel computer tracking trajectories of up to 10 9 particles simultaneously. This allows one to simulate real laser-plasma experiments for the first time. When the relativistically intense laser pulses propagate through plasma, a bunch of new physical effects appears. The laser pulses are subject to relativistic self-channelling and filamentation. The gigabar ponderomotive pressure of the laser pulse drives strong currents of plasma electrons in the laser propagation direction; these currents reach the Alfven limit and generate 100 MG quasistatic magnetic fields. These magnetic fields, in turn, lead to the mutual filament attraction and super-channel formation. The electrons in the channels are accelerated up to gigaelectronvolt energies and the ions gain multi-MeV energies. We discuss different mechanisms of particle acceleration and compare numerical simulations with experimental data. One of the very important applications of the relativistically strong laser beams is the fast ignition (FI) concept for the inertial fusion energy (IFE). Petawatt-class lasers may provide enough energy to isochorically ignite a pre-compressed target consisting of thermonuclear fuel. The FI approach would ease dramatically the constraints on the implosion symmetry and improve the energy gain. However, there is a set of problems to solve before the FI

Plasma Density Tapering for Laser Wakefield Acceleration of Electrons and Protons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ting, A.; Gordon, D.; Kaganovich, D.; Sprangle, P.; Helle, M.; Hafizi, B.

2010-01-01

Extended acceleration in a Laser Wakefield Accelerator can be achieved by tailoring the phase velocity of the accelerating plasma wave, either through profiling of the density of the plasma or direct manipulation of the phase velocity. Laser wakefield acceleration has also reached a maturity that proton acceleration by wakefield could be entertained provided we begin with protons that are substantially relativistic, ∼1 GeV. Several plasma density tapering schemes are discussed. The first scheme is called ''bucket jumping'' where the plasma density is abruptly returned to the original density after a conventional tapering to move the accelerating particles to a neighboring wakefield period (bucket). The second scheme is designed to specifically accelerate low energy protons by generating a nonlinear wakefield in a plasma region with close to critical density. The third scheme creates a periodic variation in the phase velocity by beating two intense laser beams with laser frequency difference equal to the plasma frequency. Discussions and case examples with simulations are presented where substantial acceleration of electrons or protons could be obtained.

The interaction of intense subpicosecond laser pulses with underdense plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coverdale, Christine Ann [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

1995-05-11

Laser-plasma interactions have been of interest for many years not only from a basic physics standpoint, but also for their relevance to numerous applications. Advances in laser technology in recent years have resulted in compact laser systems capable of generating (psec), 10¹⁶ W/cm² laser pulses. These lasers have provided a new regime in which to study laser-plasma interactions, a regime characterized by L_plasma ≥ 2L_Rayleigh > cτ. The goal of this dissertation is to experimentally characterize the interaction of a short pulse, high intensity laser with an underdense plasma (n_o ≤ 0.05n_cr). Specifically, the parametric instability known as stimulated Raman scatter (SRS) is investigated to determine its behavior when driven by a short, intense laser pulse. Both the forward Raman scatter instability and backscattered Raman instability are studied. The coupled partial differential equations which describe the growth of SRS are reviewed and solved for typical experimental laser and plasma parameters. This solution shows the growth of the waves (electron plasma and scattered light) generated via stimulated Raman scatter. The dispersion relation is also derived and solved for experimentally accessible parameters. The solution of the dispersion relation is used to predict where (in k-space) and at what frequency (in ω-space) the instability will grow. Both the nonrelativistic and relativistic regimes of the instability are considered.

On the dispersion characteristics of extraordinary mode in a relativistic fully degenerate electron plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Noureen, S.; Abbas, G.; Sarfraz, M.

2018-01-01

The study of relativistic degenerate plasmas is important in many astrophysical and laboratory environments. Using linearized relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell equations, a generalized expression for the plasma conductivity tensor is derived. Employing Fermi-Dirac distribution at zero temperature, the dispersion relation of the extraordinary mode in a relativistic degenerate electron plasma is investigated. The propagation characteristics are examined in different relativistic density ranges. The shifting of cutoff points due to relativistic effects is observed analytically and graphically. Non-relativistic and ultra-relativistic limiting cases are also presented.

On the kinetic theory of parametric resonance in relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Ashry, M.Y.

1982-08-01

The instability of relativistic hot plasma located in high-frequency external electric field is studied. The dispersion relation, in the case when the plasma electrons have relativistic oscillatory motion, is obtained. It is shown that if the electron Deby's radius is less than the wave length of plasma oscillation and far from the resonance on the overtones of the external field frequency, the oscillation build-up is possible. It is also shown that taking into account the relativistic motion of electrons leads to a considerable decrease in the frequency at which the parametric resonance takes place. (author)

Propagation and absorption of electromagnetic waves in fully relativistic plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batchelor, D.B.; Goldfinger, R.C.; Weitzner, H.

1983-01-01

Electron cyclotron heating calculations were made for plasmas with electron temperatures above 10 keV. It was assumed that n/sub parallel/ = 0 so that Doppler broadening is not present and relativistic effects are maximum. The plasma distribution function is assumed to be an isotropic relativistic Maxwellian

Laser-pulsed relativistic electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherman, N.K.

1986-01-01

A relativistic (β ≅ 0.8) electron gun with good emittance and subnanosecond pulse duration which can be synchronized to picosecond laser pulses is being developed at NRC for use in studies of particle acceleration by lasers. Bursts of electron pulses exceeding 280 keV in energy have been extracted into air form a laser-driven vacuum photodiode. Trains of 5 ps pulses of ultraviolet UV light illuminate a magnesium cathode. Photoelectrons emitted from the cathode are accelerated in a graded electrostatic potential set up by a 360 kV Marx-generator. The UV pulses are obtained by doubling the frequency of a 606 nm dye laser modelocked at 160 MHz. Electron energies were measured by residual range in an echelon of Al foils. Total charge per burst was measured by picoammeter. Time structure of the bursts has been examined with plastic scintillator and a fast photomultiplier. Tests on a low voltage photodiode achieved a current density of 180 A/cm/sup 2/ from an Mg cathode, with quantum efficiency of 2.4 x 10/sup -6/ electron per UV photon. The brevity and intensity of the laser pulses cause the electric charge collected per pulse to increase linearly with bias voltage rather than according to the Langmuir-Child law. Gun emittance is about 150 mm-msr and beam brightness is about 1A/cm/sup 2/-sr. Estimated duration of individual electron pulses of a burst is about 400 ps with instantaneous current of about 0.1 mA. Energy spread within one pulse is expected to be about 15%. This gun has the potential to be a useful source of relativistic electrons for laser acceleration studies

Study of the O-mode in a relativistic degenerate electron plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Azra, Kalsoom; Ali, Muddasir; Hussain, Azhar

2017-03-01

Using the linearized relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell equations, a generalized expression for the plasma conductivity tensor is derived. The dispersion relation for the O-mode in a relativistic degenerate electron plasma is investigated by employing the Fermi-Dirac distribution function. The propagation characteristics of the O-mode (cut offs, resonances, propagation regimes, harmonic structure) are examined by using specific values of the density and the magnetic field that correspond to different relativistic dense environments. Further, it is observed that due to the relativistic effects the cut off and the resonance points are shifted to low frequency values, as a result the propagation regime is reduced. The dispersion relations for the non-relativistic and the ultra-relativistic limits are also presented.

On the physics of electron ejection from laser-irradiated overdense plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thévenet, M.; Vincenti, H.; Faure, J. [Laboratoire d' Optique Appliquée, ENSTA ParisTech, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris-Saclay, 828 bd des Maréchaux, 91762 Palaiseau Cedex (France)

2016-06-15

Using 1D and 2D PIC simulations, we describe and model the backward ejection of electron bunches when a laser pulse reflects off an overdense plasma with a short density gradient on its front side. The dependence on the laser intensity and gradient scale length is studied. It is found that during each laser period, the incident laser pulse generates a large charge-separation field, or plasma capacitor, which accelerates an attosecond bunch of electrons toward vacuum. This process is maximized for short gradient scale lengths and collapses when the gradient scale length is comparable to the laser wavelength. We develop a model that reproduces the electron dynamics and the dependence on laser intensity and gradient scale length. This process is shown to be strongly linked with high harmonic generation via the Relativistic Oscillating Mirror mechanism.

Electromagnetic wave propagation in relativistic magnetized plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weiss, I.

1985-01-01

An improved mathematical technique and a new code for deriving the conductivity tensor for collisionless plasmas have been developed. The method is applicable to a very general case, including both hot (relativistic) and cold magnetized plasmas, with only isotropic equilibrium distributions being considered here. The usual derivation starts from the relativistic Vlasov equation and leads to an integration over an infinite sum of Bessel functions which has to be done numerically. In the new solution the integration is carried out over a product of two Bessel functions only. This reduces the computing time very significantly. An added advantage over existing codes is our capability to perform the computations for waves propagating obliquely to the magnetic field. Both improvements greatly facilitate investigations of properties of the plasma under conditions hitherto unexplored

Relativistic plasma dispersion functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, P.A.

1986-01-01

The known properties of plasma dispersion functions (PDF's) for waves in weakly relativistic, magnetized, thermal plasmas are reviewed and a large number of new results are presented. The PDF's required for the description of waves with small wave number perpendicular to the magnetic field (Dnestrovskii and Shkarofsky functions) are considered in detail; these functions also arise in certain quantum electrodynamical calculations involving strongly magnetized plasmas. Series, asymptotic series, recursion relations, integral forms, derivatives, differential equations, and approximations for these functions are discussed as are their analytic properties and connections with standard transcendental functions. In addition a more general class of PDF's relevant to waves of arbitrary perpendicular wave number is introduced and a range of properties of these functions are derived

On the mutual interaction between laser beams in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, C.; Duda, B.J.; Evans, R.G.; Fonseca, R.A.; Hemker, R.G.; Mori, W.B.

2002-01-01

The nonlinear interaction between light beams in a plasma is studied. In particular, nonlinearities due to relativistic mass corrections and density modulations from a plasma wave wake are considered; but the results can be generalized for other nonlinearities. A simple physical picture using the nonlinear phase velocity of the light wave in a plasma is developed to show that when two laser beams are coherent, the force can be repulsive or attractive, depending on their relative phase. When the two laser beams are polarized in mutually perpendicular directions, the force is always attractive. Using a variational method, a simple analytical expression for this attractive force is derived for Gaussian beams. The centers of the lasers move analogously to point masses under this attractive force with the laser power playing the role of the mass. Under an attractive force, solutions exist where the two lasers can spiral around each other. It is also shown that the plasma wave wake can cause the two spiraling lasers to become intertwined forming a braided pattern. The braiding is common to any nonlinearity which is not instantaneous. The analytical results concerning attraction, repulsion, and braiding have been confirmed using three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The simulations also show that angular momentum can radiate away leading to the coalescence of the remaining energy

High density ultrashort relativistic positron beam generation by laser-plasma interaction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gu, Yanjun; Klimo, Ondřej; Weber, Stefan A.; Korn, Georg

2016-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 11 (2016), 1-7, č. článku 113023. ISSN 1367-2630 R&D Projects: GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162 Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : radation reaction effect * pair creation * laser-plasma interaction Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 3.786, year: 2016

Particle-in-cell simulations of high energy electron production by intense laser pulses in underdense plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susumu, Kato; Eisuke, Miura; Kazuyoshi, Koyama; Mitsumori, Tanimoto; Masahiro, Adachi

2004-01-01

The propagation of intense laser pulses and the generation of high energy electrons from underdense plasmas are investigated using two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. When the ratio of the laser power to the critical power of relativistic self-focusing gets the optimal value, the laser pulse propagates in a steady way and electrons have maximum energies. (author)

Particle-in-cell simulations of high energy electron production by intense laser pulses in underdense plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Susumu, Kato; Eisuke, Miura; Kazuyoshi, Koyama [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan); Mitsumori, Tanimoto [Meisei Univ., Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Hino, Tokyo (Japan); Masahiro, Adachi [Hiroshima Univ., Graduate school of Advanced Science of Matter, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima (Japan)

2004-07-01

The propagation of intense laser pulses and the generation of high energy electrons from underdense plasmas are investigated using two dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. When the ratio of the laser power to the critical power of relativistic self-focusing gets the optimal value, the laser pulse propagates in a steady way and electrons have maximum energies. (author)

Relativistic charged fluids: hydrodynamic and kinetic approaches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debbasch, F.; Bonnaud, G.

1991-10-01

This report gives a rigorous and consistent hydrodynamic and kinetic description of a charged fluid and the basis equations, in a relativistic context. This study should lead to a reliable model, as much analytical as numerical, of relativistic plasmas which will appear in the interaction of a strong laser field with a plasma. For simplicity, we limited our study to a perfect fluid or, in other words, we disregarded the energy dissipation processes inside the fluid [fr

Fully relativistic free-electron laser in a completely filled waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farokhi, B.; Abdykian, A.

2005-01-01

An analysis of the azimuthally symmetrical, high frequency eigenmodes of a cylindrical metallic waveguide completely filled with a relativistic magnetized plasma is presented. A relativistic nonlinear wave equation is derived in a form which includes the coupling of EH and HE modes due to the finite axial magnetic field. Relativistic equations that permit calculation of the dispersion curves for four families of electromagnetic and electrostatic modes are derived. Numerical analysis is conducted to study the relativistic dispersion curves of various modes as a function of axial magnetic field B 0 . This treatment is shown that the dispersion curves dependent to γ in low frequency which is ignored in previous work. It is found that in drawn figures shown difference between relativistic and non-relativistic cases. The former each figure is treated for two orbit groups. This study is benefiting to facilities the development of devices for generation of high-power electromagnetic radiation, charged particle acceleration, and other applications of plasma waveguide. (author)

Effect of laser beam filamentation on plasma wave localization and stimulated Raman scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purohit, Gunjan; Sharma, R. P.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the effect of laser beam filamentation on the localization of electron plasma wave (EPW) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in unmagnitized plasma when both relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities are operative. The filamentary dynamics of laser beam is studied and the splitted profile of the laser beam is obtained due to uneven focusing of the off-axial rays. The localization of electron plasma wave takes place due to nonlinear coupling between the laser beam and EPW. Stimulated Raman scattering of this EPW is studied and backreflectivity has been calculated. The localization of EPW also affects the eigenfrequency and damping of plasma wave; consequently, mismatch and modified enhanced Landau damping lead to the disruption of SRS process and a substantial reduction in the backreflectivity. The new enhanced damping of the plasma wave has been calculated and it is found that the SRS process gets suppressed due to the localization of plasma wave in laser beam filamentary structures. For typical laser beam and plasma parameters with wavelength λ (=1064 nm), power flux (=10 16 W/cm 2 ) and plasma density (n/n cr ) = 0.2; the SRS back reflectivity is found to be suppressed by a factor of around 5%. (author)

Mono-energetic ion beam acceleration in solitary waves during relativistic transparency using high-contrast circularly polarized short-pulse laser and nanoscale targets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, L.; Albright, B. J.; Bowers, K. J.; Shah, R. C.; Palaniyappan, S.; Fernandez, J. C.; Jung, D.; Hegelich, B. M.

2011-01-01

In recent experiments at the Trident laser facility, quasi-monoenergetic ion beams have been obtained from the interaction of an ultraintense, circularly polarized laser with a diamond-like carbon target of nm-scale thickness under conditions of ultrahigh laser pulse contrast. Kinetic simulations of this experiment under realistic laser and plasma conditions show that relativistic transparency occurs before significant radiation pressure acceleration and that the main ion acceleration occurs after the onset of relativistic transparency. Associated with this transition are a period of intense ion acceleration and the generation of a new class of ion solitons that naturally give rise to quasi-monoenergetic ion beams. An analytic theory has been derived for the properties of these solitons that reproduces the behavior observed in kinetic simulations and the experiments.

Experimental plasma astrophysics using a T3 (Table-top Terawatt) laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.

1996-11-01

Lasers that can deliver immense power of Terawatt (10 12 W) and can still compactly sit on a Table-Top (T 3 lasers) emerged in the 1990s. The advent of these lasers allows us to access to regimes of astronomical physical conditions that once thought impossible to realize in a terrestrial laboratory. We touch on examples that include superhigh pressure materials that may resemble the interior of giant planets and white dwarfs and of relativistic temperature plasmas that may exist in the early cosmological epoch and in the neighborhood of the blackhole event horizon

UV laser ionization and electron beam diagnostics for plasma lenses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Govil, R.; Volfbeyn, P.; Leemans, W.

1995-04-01

A comprehensive study of focusing of relativistic electron beams with overdense and underdense plasma lenses requires careful control of plasma density and scale lengths. Plasma lens experiments are planned at the Beam Test Facility of the LBL Center for Beam Physics, using the 50 MeV electron beam delivered by the linac injector from the Advanced Light Source. Here we present results from an interferometric study of plasmas produced in tri-propylamine vapor with a frequency quadrupled Nd:YAG laser at 266 nm. To study temporal dynamics of plasma lenses we have developed an electron beam diagnostic using optical transition radiation to time resolve beam size and divergence. Electron beam ionization of the plasma has also been investigated

Pump depletion limited evolution of the relativistic plasma wave-front in a forced laser-wakefield accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, F; Clayton, C E; Marsh, K A; Pak, A E; Ralph, J E; Joshi, C; Lopes, N C

2009-01-01

In a forced laser-wakefield accelerator experiment (Malka et al 2002 Science 298 1596) where the length of the pump laser pulse is a few plasma periods long, the leading edge of the laser pulse undergoes frequency downshifting and head erosion as the laser energy is transferred to the wake. Therefore, after some propagation distance, the group velocity of the leading edge of the pump pulse-and thus of the driven electron plasma wave-will slow down. This can have implications for the dephasing length of the accelerated electrons and therefore needs to be understood experimentally. We have carried out an experimental investigation where we have measured the velocity v f of the 'wave-front' of the plasma wave driven by a nominally 50 fs (full width half maximum), intense (a 0 ≅ 1), 0.815 μm laser pulse. To determine the speed of the wave front, time- and space-resolved refractometry, interferometry and Thomson scattering were used. Although a laser pulse propagating through a relatively low-density plasma (n e = 1.3 x 10 19 cm -3 ) showed no measurable changes in v f over 1.3 mm (and no accelerated electrons), a high-density plasma (n e = 5 x 10 19 cm -3 ) generated accelerated electrons and showed a continuous change in v f as the laser pulse propagated through the plasma. Possible causes and consequences of the observed v f evolution are discussed.

Time-resolved measurements with streaked diffraction patterns from electrons generated in laser plasma wakefield

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhaohan; Nees, John; Hou, Bixue; Krushelnick, Karl; Thomas, Alec; Beaurepaire, Benoît; Malka, Victor; Faure, Jérôme

2013-10-01

Femtosecond bunches of electrons with relativistic to ultra-relativistic energies can be robustly produced in laser plasma wakefield accelerators (LWFA). Scaling the electron energy down to sub-relativistic and MeV level using a millijoule laser system will make such electron source a promising candidate for ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) applications due to the intrinsic short bunch duration and perfect synchronization with the optical pump. Recent results of electron diffraction from a single crystal gold foil, using LWFA electrons driven by 8-mJ, 35-fs laser pulses at 500 Hz, will be presented. The accelerated electrons were collimated with a solenoid magnetic lens. By applying a small-angle tilt to the magnetic lens, the diffraction pattern can be streaked such that the temporal evolution is separated spatially on the detector screen after propagation. The observable time window and achievable temporal resolution are studied in pump-probe measurements of photo-induced heating on the gold foil.

Front-End Light Source for aWaveform-Controlled High-Contrast Few-Cycle Laser System for High-Repetition Rate Relativistic Optics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Lopez-Martens

2013-03-01

Full Text Available We present the current development of an injector for a high-contrast, ultrashort laser system devoted to relativistic laser-plasma interaction in the few-cycle regime. The front-end is based on CEP-stabilized Ti:Sa CPA followed by XPW filter designed at the mJ level for temporal cleaning and shortening. Accurate characterization highlights the fidelity of the proposed injector. Measured CEP drift is 170 mrad rms.

Laser wakefield acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esarey, E.; Ting, A.; Sprangle, P.

1989-01-01

The laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) is a novel plasma based electron acceleration scheme which utilizes a relativistic optical guiding mechanism for laser pulse propagation. In the LWFA, a short, high power, single frequency laser pulse is propagated through a plasma. As the laser pulse propagates, its radial and axial ponderomotive forces nonresonantly generate large amplitude plasma waves (wakefields) with a phase velocity equal to the group velocity of the pulse. A properly phased electron bunch may then be accelerated by the axial wakefield and focused by the transverse wakefield. Optical guiding of the laser pulse in the plasma is necessary in order to achieve high energies in a single stage of acceleration. At sufficiently high laser powers, optical guiding may be achieved through relativistic effects associated with the plasma electrons. Preliminary analysis indicates that this scheme may overcome some of the difficulties present in the plasma beat wave accelerator and in the plasma wakefield accelerator. Analytical and numerical calculations are presented which study both laser pulse propagation within a plasma as well as the subsequent generation of large amplitude plasma waves. In addition, the generation of large amplitude plasma waves in regimes where the plasma waves become highly nonlinear is examined

Intense EM filamentation in relativistic hot plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Qiang-Lin [Department of Physics, Jinggangshan University, Ji' an, Jiangxi 343009 (China); Chen, Zhong-Ping [Department of Physics and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Mahajan, Swadesh M., E-mail: mahajan@mail.utexas.edu [Department of Physics and Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar University, Uttar Pradesh 201314 (India)

2017-03-03

Highlights: • Breaking up of an intense EM pulse into filaments is a spectacular demonstration of the nonlinear wave-plasma interaction. • Filaments are spectacularly sharper, highly extended and longer lived at relativistic temperatures. • EM energy concentration can trigger new nonlinear phenomena with absolute consequences for high energy density matter. - Abstract: Through 2D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we demonstrate that the nature of filamentation of a high intensity electromagnetic (EM) pulse propagating in an underdense plasma, is profoundly affected at relativistically high temperatures. The “relativistic” filaments are sharper, are dramatically extended (along the direction of propagation), and live much longer than their lower temperature counterparts. The thermally boosted electron inertia is invoked to understand this very interesting and powerful phenomenon.

Pump depletion limited evolution of the relativistic plasma wave-front in a forced laser-wakefield accelerator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, F; Clayton, C E; Marsh, K A; Pak, A E; Ralph, J E; Joshi, C [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Lopes, N C [Grupo de Lasers e Plasmas, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon (Portugal)], E-mail: cclayton@ucla.edu

2009-02-15

In a forced laser-wakefield accelerator experiment (Malka et al 2002 Science 298 1596) where the length of the pump laser pulse is a few plasma periods long, the leading edge of the laser pulse undergoes frequency downshifting and head erosion as the laser energy is transferred to the wake. Therefore, after some propagation distance, the group velocity of the leading edge of the pump pulse-and thus of the driven electron plasma wave-will slow down. This can have implications for the dephasing length of the accelerated electrons and therefore needs to be understood experimentally. We have carried out an experimental investigation where we have measured the velocity v{sub f} of the 'wave-front' of the plasma wave driven by a nominally 50 fs (full width half maximum), intense (a{sub 0} {approx_equal} 1), 0.815 {mu}m laser pulse. To determine the speed of the wave front, time- and space-resolved refractometry, interferometry and Thomson scattering were used. Although a laser pulse propagating through a relatively low-density plasma (n{sub e} = 1.3 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}) showed no measurable changes in v{sub f} over 1.3 mm (and no accelerated electrons), a high-density plasma (n{sub e} = 5 x 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}) generated accelerated electrons and showed a continuous change in v{sub f} as the laser pulse propagated through the plasma. Possible causes and consequences of the observed v{sub f} evolution are discussed.

Impact of Relativistic Electron Beam on Hole Acoustic Instability in Quantum Semiconductor Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Siddique, M.; Jamil, M.; Rasheed, A.; Areeb, F.; Javed, Asif; Sumera, P.

2018-01-01

We studied the influence of the classical relativistic beam of electrons on the hole acoustic wave (HAW) instability exciting in the semiconductor quantum plasmas. We conducted this study by using the quantum-hydrodynamic model of dense plasmas, incorporating the quantum effects of semiconductor plasma species which include degeneracy pressure, exchange-correlation potential and Bohm potential. Analysis of the quantum characteristics of semiconductor plasma species along with relativistic effect of beam electrons on the dispersion relation of the HAW is given in detail qualitatively and quantitatively by plotting them numerically. It is worth mentioning that the relativistic electron beam (REB) stabilises the HAWs exciting in semiconductor (GaAs) degenerate plasma.

Nonlinear analysis of a relativistic beam-plasma cyclotron instability

Science.gov (United States)

Sprangle, P.; Vlahos, L.

1986-01-01

A self-consistent set of nonlinear and relativistic wave-particle equations are derived for a magnetized beam-plasma system interacting with electromagnetic cyclotron waves. In particular, the high-frequency cyclotron mode interacting with a streaming and gyrating electron beam within a background plasma is considered in some detail. This interaction mode may possibly find application as a high-power source of coherent short-wavelength radiation for laboratory devices. The background plasma, although passive, plays a central role in this mechanism by modifying the dielectric properties in which the magnetized electron beam propagates. For a particular choice of the transverse beam velocity (i.e., the speed of light divided by the relativistic mass factor), the interaction frequency equals the nonrelativistic electron cyclotron frequency times the relativistic mass factor. For this choice of transverse beam velocity the detrimental effects of a longitudinal beam velocity spread is virtually removed. Power conversion efficiencies in excess of 18 percent are both analytically calculated and obtained through numerical simulations of the wave-particle equations. The quality of the electron beam, degree of energy and pitch angle spread, and its effect on the beam-plasma cyclotron instability is studied.

Relativistic attosecond electron bunch emission from few-cycle laser irradiated nanoscale droplets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Di Lucchio

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Attosecond electron bunches produced at the surface of nanometer-scale droplets illuminated by a two-cycle laser pulse are investigated for the purpose of determining their optimal emission characteristics. Significant departures from Mie theory are found for electron bunch emission from droplets whose radii satisfy the condition δ_{r}plasma relativistic skin depth; an effect which can be accounted for by induced transparency. Scattering from such droplets is subject to a transitional regime which is neither accounted for by optical Mie theory valid for R≫δ, where δ is the usual plasma skin depth, nor with the Rayleigh regime (R<δ≪λ. Instead the angular emission of the bunches is to a good approximation described by the nonlinear ponderomotive scattering model. Subsequently, the bunches are subject to further deflection by the ponderomotive pressure of the copropagating laser field in vacuum, depending on the initial droplet parameters. Final emission angles are estimated, together with the energy spectrum of the bunches.

Terahertz radiation driven by two-color laser pulses at near-relativistic intensities: Competition between photoionization and wakefield effects

Science.gov (United States)

González de Alaiza Martínez, P.; Davoine, X.; Debayle, A.; Gremillet, L.; Bergé, L.

2016-01-01

We numerically investigate terahertz (THz) pulse generation by linearly-polarized, two-color femtosecond laser pulses in highly-ionized argon. Major processes consist of tunneling photoionization and ponderomotive forces associated with transverse and longitudinal field excitations. By means of two-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, we reveal the importance of photocurrent mechanisms besides transverse and longitudinal plasma waves for laser intensities >1015 W/cm2. We demonstrate the following. (i) With two-color pulses, photoionization prevails in the generation of GV/m THz fields up to 1017 W/cm2 laser intensities and suddenly loses efficiency near the relativistic threshold, as the outermost electron shell of ionized Ar atoms has been fully depleted. (ii) PIC results can be explained by a one-dimensional Maxwell-fluid model and its semi-analytical solutions, offering the first unified description of the main THz sources created in plasmas. (iii) The THz power emitted outside the plasma channel mostly originates from the transverse currents. PMID:27255689

Relativistic degenerate electron plasma in an intense magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delsante, A.E.; Frankel, N.E.

1978-01-01

The dielectric response function for a dense, ultra-degenerate relativistic electron plasma in an intense uniform magnetic field is presented. Dispersion relations for plasma oscillations parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field are obtained

From laser cooling of non-relativistic to relativistic ion beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schramm, U.; Bussmann, M.; Habs, D.

2004-01-01

Laser cooling of stored 24 Mg + ion beams recently led to the long anticipated experimental realization of Coulomb-ordered 'crystalline' ion beams in the low-energy RF-quadrupole storage ring PAul Laser CooLing Acceleration System (Munich). Moreover, systematic studies revealed severe constraints on the cooling scheme and the storage ring lattice for the attainment and maintenance of the crystalline state of the beam, which will be summarized. With the envisaged advent of high-energy heavy ion storage rings like SIS 300 at GSI (Darmstadt), which offer favourable lattice conditions for space-charge-dominated beams, we here discuss the general scaling of laser cooling of highly relativistic beams of highly charged ions and present a novel idea for direct three-dimensional beam cooling by forcing the ions onto a helical path

Dependence of high order harmonics intensity on laser focal spot position in preformed plasma plumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singhal, H.; Ganeev, R.; Naik, P. A.; Arora, V.; Chakravarty, U.; Gupta, P. D.

2008-01-01

The dependence of the high-order harmonic intensity on the laser focal spot position in laser produced plasma plumes is experimentally studied. High order harmonics up to the 59th order (λ∼13.5 nm) were generated by focusing 48 fs laser pulses from a Ti:sapphire laser system in silver plasma plume produced using 300 ps uncompressed laser radiation as the prepulse. The intensity of harmonics nearly vanished when the best focus was located in the plume center, whereas it peaked on either side with unequal intensity. The focal spot position corresponding to the peak harmonic intensity moved away from the plume center for higher order harmonics. The results are explained in terms of the variation of phase mismatch between the driving laser beam and harmonics radiation produced, relativistic drift of electrons, and defocusing effect due to radial ionization gradient in the plasma for different focal spot positions

Generation of Attosecond x-ray pulse using Coherent Relativistic Nonlinear Thomson Scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ki Tae; Park, Seong Hee; Cha, Yong Ho; Jeong, Young Uk; Lee, Byung Cheol [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2005-07-01

Relativistic plasma, a new regime in physics, has been opened due to the development in ultra-intense laser technology during the past decade. Not only the fundamental aspect of relativistic plasma are attractive but also its potential application seems to be significant especially in the area of the generation of high energy particles such as electrons, ions, positrons, and {gamma}-rays. The generation of x-ray radiation with a pulse width of sub-femtoseconds presently draws much attention because such a radiation allows one to explore ultra-fast dynamics of electrons and nucleons. Several schemes have been proposed and/or demonstrated to generate an ultra-short x-ray pulse: the relativistic Doppler shift of a backscattered laser pulse by a relativistic electron beam, the harmonic frequency upshift of a laser pulse by relativistic nonlinear motion of electrons, high order harmonic generation in the interaction of intense laser pulse with noble gases and solids The train of a few 100 attosecond pulses has been observed in the case of laser-noble gas interaction. When a low-intensity laser pulse is irradiated on an electron, the electron undergoes a harmonic oscillatory motion and generates a dipole radiation with the same frequency as the incident laser pulse, which is called Thomson scattering. As the laser intensity increases, the oscillatory motion of the electron becomes relativistically nonlinear, which leads to the generation of harmonic radiations, referred to as Relativistic Nonlinear Thomson Scattered (RNTS) radiation. The motion of the electron begins to be relativistic as the following normalized vector potential approaches to unity: a{sub 0}=8.5 x 10{sup -10} {lambda}{iota}{sup 1/2} , (1) where {lambda} is the laser wavelength in {mu}m and I the laser intensity in W/cm{sup 2} The RNTS radiation has been investigated in analytical ways. Recently, indebted to the development of the ultra-intense laser pulse, experiments on RNTS radiation have been carried

Under-the-barrier dynamics in laser-induced relativistic tunneling.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaiber, Michael; Yakaboylu, Enderalp; Bauke, Heiko; Hatsagortsyan, Karen Z; Keitel, Christoph H

2013-04-12

The tunneling dynamics in relativistic strong-field ionization is investigated with the aim to develop an intuitive picture for the relativistic tunneling regime. We demonstrate that the tunneling picture applies also in the relativistic regime by introducing position dependent energy levels. The quantum dynamics in the classically forbidden region features two time scales, the typical time that characterizes the probability density's decay of the ionizing electron under the barrier (Keldysh time) and the time interval which the electron spends inside the barrier (Eisenbud-Wigner-Smith tunneling time). In the relativistic regime, an electron momentum shift as well as a spatial shift along the laser propagation direction arise during the under-the-barrier motion which are caused by the laser magnetic field induced Lorentz force. The momentum shift is proportional to the Keldysh time, while the wave-packet's spatial drift is proportional to the Eisenbud-Wigner-Smith time. The signature of the momentum shift is shown to be present in the ionization spectrum at the detector and, therefore, observable experimentally. In contrast, the signature of the Eisenbud-Wigner-Smith time delay disappears at far distances for pure quasistatic tunneling dynamics.

Measurements of Relativistic Effects in Collective Thomson Scattering at Electron Temperatures less than 1 keV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, James Steven [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)

2010-01-01

Simultaneous scattering from electron-plasma waves and ion-acoustic waves is used to measure local laser-produced plasma parameters with high spatiotemporal resolution including electron temperature and density, average charge state, plasma flow velocity, and ion temperature. In addition, the first measurements of relativistic modifications in the collective Thomson scattering spectrum from thermal electron-plasma fluctuations are presented [1]. Due to the high phase velocity of electron-plasma fluctuations, relativistic effects are important even at low electron temperatures (T_e < 1 keV). These effects have been observed experimentally and agree well with a relativistic treatment of the Thomson scattering form factor [2]. The results are important for the interpretation of scattering measurements from laser produced plasmas. Thomson scattering measurements are used to characterize the hydrodynamics of a gas jet plasma which is the foundation for a broad series of laser-plasma interaction studies [3, 4, 5, 6]. The temporal evolution of the electron temperature, density and ion temperature are measured. The measured electron density evolution shows excellent agreement with a simple adiabatic expansion model. The effects of high temperatures on coupling to hohlraum targets is discussed [7]. A peak electron temperature of 12 keV at a density of 4.7 × 10²⁰cm^-3 are measured 200 μm outside the laser entrance hole using a two-color Thomson scattering method we developed in gas jet plasmas [8]. These measurements are used to assess laser-plasma interactions that reduce laser hohlraum coupling and can significantly reduce the hohlraum radiation temperature.

On plane-wave relativistic electrodynamics in plasmas and in vacuum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fiore, Gaetano

2014-01-01

We revisit the exact microscopic equations (in differential, and equivalent integral form) ruling a relativistic cold plasma after the plane-wave Ansatz, without customary approximations. We show that in the Eulerian description the motion of a very diluted plasma initially at rest and excited by an arbitrary transverse plane electromagnetic travelling-wave has a very simple and explicit dependence on the transverse electromagnetic potential; for a non-zero density plasma the above motion is a good approximation of the real one as long as the back-reaction of the charges on the electromagnetic field can be neglected, i.e. for a time lapse decreasing with the plasma density, and can be used as initial step in an iterative resolution scheme. As one of many possible applications, we use these results to describe how the ponderomotive force of a very intense and short plane laser pulse hitting normally the surface of a plasma boosts the surface electrons into the ion background. In response to this penetration, the electrons are pulled back by the electric force exerted by the ions and the other displaced electrons and may leave the plasma with high energy in the direction opposite to that of propagation of the pulse ‘slingshot effect’ (Fiore G et al 2013 arXiv:1309.1400). (paper)

Self-Guiding of Ultrashort Relativistically Intense Laser Pulses to the Limit of Nonlinear Pump Depletion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ralph, J. E.; Marsh, K. A.; Pak, A. E.; Lu, W.; Clayton, C. E.; Fang, F.; Joshi, C.; Tsung, F. S.; Mori, W. B.

2009-01-01

A study of self-guiding of ultra short, relativistically intense laser pulses is presented. Here, the laser pulse length is on the order of the nonlinear plasma wavelength and the normalized vector potential is greater than one. Self-guiding of ultrashort laser pulses over tens of Rayliegh lengths is possible when driving a highly nonlinear wake. In this case, self-guiding is limited by nonlinear pump depletion. Erosion of the pulse due to diffraction at the head of the laser pulse is minimized for spot sizes close to the blow-out radius. This is due to the slowing of the group velocity of the photons at the head of the laser pulse. Using an approximately 10 TW Ti:Sapphire laser with a pulse length of approximately 50 fs, experimental results are presented showing self-guiding over lengths exceeding 30 Rayliegh lengths in various length Helium gas jets. Fully explicit 3D PIC simulations supporting the experimental results are also presented.

Relativistic effects on large amplitude nonlinear Langmuir waves in a two-fluid plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nejoh, Yasunori

1994-07-01

Large amplitude relativistic nonlinear Langmuir waves are analyzed by the pseudo-potential method. The existence conditions for nonlinear Langmuir waves are confirmed by considering relativistic high-speed electrons in a two-fluid plasma. The significant feature of this investigation is that the propagation of nonlinear Langmuir waves depends on the ratio of the electron streaming velocity to the velocity of light, the normalized potential and the ion mass to electron mass ratio. The constant energy is determined by the specific range of the relativistic effect. In the non-relativistic limit, large amplitude relativistic Langmuir waves do not exist. The present investigation predicts new findings of large amplitude nonlinear Langmuir waves in space plasma phenomena in which relativistic electrons are important. (author)

Review of multi-dimensional large-scale kinetic simulation and physics validation of ion acceleration in relativistic laser-matter interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Hui-Chun; Hegelich, B.M.; Fernandez, J.C.; Shah, R.C.; Palaniyappan, S.; Jung, D.; Yin, L.; Albright, B.J.; Bowers, K.; Kwan, T.J.

2012-01-01

Two new experimental technologies enabled realization of Break-out afterburner (BOA) - High quality Trident laser and free-standing C nm-targets. VPIC is an powerful tool for fundamental research of relativistic laser-matter interaction. Predictions from VPIC are validated - Novel BOA and Solitary ion acceleration mechanisms. VPIC is a fully explicit Particle In Cell (PIC) code: models plasma as billions of macro-particles moving on a computational mesh. VPIC particle advance (which typically dominates computation) has been optimized extensively for many different supercomputers. Laser-driven ions lead to realization promising applications - Ion-based fast ignition; active interrogation, hadron therapy.

Dispersion formulae for waves in a magneto-active relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misra, P.; Mohanty, J.N.

1980-01-01

Dispersion formulae are derived for the transverse waves propagating through a collisionless magneto-active plasma in the direction of the magnetic field valid for relativistic as well as non-relativistic temperatures. Wave propagation under various limiting conditions of temperatures and magnetic field are discussed. (author)

Dispersion formulae for waves in a magneto-active relativistic plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Misra, P. (Ravenshaw Coll., Cuttack (India)); Mohanty, J.N. (F.M. College, Balasore (India). Dept. of Physics)

1980-12-01

Dispersion formulae are derived for the transverse waves propagating through a collisionless magneto-active plasma in the direction of the magnetic field valid for relativistic as well as non-relativistic temperatures. Wave propagation under various limiting conditions of temperatures and magnetic field are discussed.

High quality electron beams from a plasma channel guided laser wakefield accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geddes, C.G.R.; Toth, Cs.; Tilborg, J. van; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C.B.; Bruhwiler, D.; Nieter, C.; Cary, J.; Leemans, W.P.

2004-01-01

Laser driven accelerators, in which particles are accelerated by the electric field of a plasma wave driven by an intense laser, have demonstrated accelerating electric fields of hundreds of GV/m. These fields are thousands of times those achievable in conventional radiofrequency (RF) accelerators, spurring interest in laser accelerators as compact next generation sources of energetic electrons and radiation. To date however, acceleration distances have been severely limited by lack of a controllable method for extending the propagation distance of the focused laser pulse. The ensuing short acceleration distance results in low energy beams with 100% electron energy spread, limiting applications. Here we demonstrate that a relativistically intense laser can be guided by a preformed plasma density channel and that the longer propagation distance can result in electron beams of percent energy spread with low emittance and increased energy, containing >10 9 electrons above 80 MeV. The preformed plasma channel technique forms the basis of a new class of accelerators, combining beam quality comparable to RF accelerators with the high gradients of laser accelerators to produce compact tunable high brightness electron and radiation sources

The role of the gas/plasma plume and self-focusing in a gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide for high-power laser-plasma applications

CERN Document Server

Ciocarlan, C.; Islam, M. R.; Ersfeld, B.; Abuazoum, S.; Wilson, R.; Aniculaesei, C.; Welsh, G. H.; Vieux, G.; Jaroszynski, D. A.; 10.1063/1.4822333

2013-01-01

The role of the gas/plasma plume at the entrance of a gas-filled capillary discharge plasma waveguide in increasing the laser intensity has been investigated. Distinction is made between neutral gas and hot plasma plumes that, respectively, develop before and after discharge breakdown. Time-averaged measurements show that the on-axis plasma density of a fully expanded plasma plume over this region is similar to that inside the waveguide. Above the critical power, relativistic and ponderomotive selffocusing lead to an increase in the intensity, which can be nearly a factor of 2 compared with the case without a plume. When used as a laser plasma wakefield accelerator, the enhancement of intensity can lead to prompt electron injection very close to the entrance of the waveguide. Self-focusing occurs within two Rayleigh lengths of the waveguide entrance plane in the region, where the laser beam is converging. Analytical theory and numerical simulations show that, for a density of 3.01018 cm3, the peak normalized...

Simulation of intense short-pulse laser-plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamagiwa, Mitsuru

2000-01-01

We have completed the massive parallelization of a 2-dimensional giga-particle code and have achieved a 530-fold acceleration rate with 512 processing elements (PE's). Using this we have implemented a simulation of the interaction of a solid thin film and a high intensity laser and have discovered a phenomenon in which high quality short pulses from the far ultraviolet to soft X-rays are generated at the back surface of the thin layer. We have also introduced the atomic process database code (Hullac) and have the possibility for high precision simulations of X-ray laser radiation. With respect to laser acceleration we have the possibility to quantitatively evaluate relativistic self-focusing assumed to occur in higher intensity fields. Ion acceleration from a solid target and an underdense plasma irradiated by an intense and an ultra intense laser, respectively, has also been studied by particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. (author)

Direct acceleration of electrons by a CO2 laser in a curved plasma waveguide

CERN Document Server

Yi, Longqing; Shen, Baifei

2016-01-01

Laser plasma interaction with micro-engineered targets at relativistic intensities has been greatly promoted by recent progress in the high contrast lasers and the manufacture of advanced micro- and nano-structures. This opens new possibilities for the physics of laser-matter interaction. Here we propose a novel approach that leverages the advantages of high-pressure CO 2 laser, laser-waveguide interaction, as well as micro-engineered plasma structure to accelerate electrons to peak energy greater than 1 GeV with narrow slice energy spread (~1%) and high overall efficiency. The acceleration gradient is 26 GV/m for a 1.3 TW CO2 laser system. The micro-bunching of a long electron beam leads to the generation of a chain of ultrashort electron bunches with the duration roughly equal to half-laser-cycle. These results open a way for developing a compact and economic electron source for diverse applications.

EVOLUTION OF RELATIVISTIC PLASMOID CHAINS IN A POYNTING-DOMINATED PLASMA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamoto, Makoto

2013-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the evolution of plasmoid chains in a Poynting-dominated plasma. We model the relativistic current sheet with a cold background plasma using the relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamic approximation and solve for its temporal evolution numerically. We perform various calculations using different magnetization parameters of the background plasma and different Lundquist numbers. Numerical results show that the initially induced plasmoid triggers a secondary tearing instability, which gradually fills the current sheet with plasmoids, as has also been observed in the non-relativistic case. We find that plasmoid chains greatly enhance the reconnection rate, which becomes independent of the Lundquist number when the Lundquist number exceeds a critical value. In addition, we show that the distribution of plasmoid size becomes a power law. Since magnetic reconnection is expected to play an important role in various high-energy astrophysical phenomena, our results can be used for explaining the physical mechanisms of those phenomena

X-ray spectrum in the range (6-12) A emitted by laser-produced plasma of samarium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louzon, Einat; Henis, Zohar; Levi, Izhak; Hurvitz, Gilad; Ehrlich, Yosi; Fraenkel, Moshe; Maman, Shlomo; Mandelbaum, Pinchas

2009-01-01

A detailed analysis of the x-ray spectrum emitted by laser-produced plasma of samarium (6-12 A) is presented, using ab initio calculations with the HULLAC relativistic code and isoelectronic considerations. Resonance 3d-nf (n=4 to 7), 3p-4d, 3d-4p, and 3p-4s transitions in Ni samarium ions and in neighboring ionization states (from Mn to Zn ions) were identified. The experiment results show changes in the fine details of the plasma spectrum for different laser intensities.

Acceleration of multiply charged ions by a high-contrast femtosecond laser pulse of relativistic intensity from the front surface of a solid target

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Shulyapov, S. A.; Mordvintsev, I. M.; Ivanov, K. A.; Volkov, P. V.; Zarubin, P. I.; Ambrožová, Iva; Turek, Karel; Savelyev, A. B.

2016-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 5 (2016), s. 432-436 ISSN 1063-7818 Institutional support: RVO:61389005 Keywords : relativistic intensity * contrast * laser plasma * ion acceleration * multiply charged ions * collision ionisation Subject RIV: BG - Nuclear, Atomic and Molecular Physics, Colliders Impact factor: 1.119, year: 2016

Extending laser plasma accelerators into the mid-IR spectral domain with a next-generation ultra-fast CO2 laser

Science.gov (United States)

Pogorelsky, I. V.; Babzien, M.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Polyanskiy, M. N.; Skaritka, J.; Tresca, O.; Dover, N. P.; Najmudin, Z.; Lu, W.; Cook, N.; Ting, A.; Chen, Y.-H.

2016-03-01

Expanding the scope of relativistic plasma research to wavelengths longer than the λ/≈   0.8-1.1 μm range covered by conventional mode-locked solid-state lasers would offer attractive opportunities due to the quadratic scaling of the ponderomotive electron energy and critical plasma density with λ. Answering this quest, a next-generation mid-IR laser project is being advanced at the BNL ATF as a part of the user facility upgrade. We discuss the technical approach to this conceptually new 100 TW, 100 fs, λ  =   9-11 μm CO2 laser BESTIA (Brookhaven Experimental Supra-Terawatt Infrared at ATF) that encompasses several innovations applied for the first time to molecular gas lasers. BESTIA will enable new regimes of laser plasma accelerators. One example is shock-wave ion acceleration (SWA) from gas jets. We review ongoing efforts to achieve stable, monoenergetic proton acceleration by dynamically shaping the plasma density profile from a hydrogen gas target with laser-produced blast waves. At its full power, 100 TW BESTIA promises to achieve proton beams at an energy exceeding 200 MeV. In addition to ion acceleration in over-critical plasma, the ultra-intense mid-IR BESTIA will open up new opportunities in driving wakefields in tenuous plasmas, expanding the landscape of laser wakefield accelerator (LWFA) studies into the unexplored long-wavelength spectral domain. Simple wavelength scaling suggests that a 100 TW CO2 laser beam will be capable of efficiently generating plasma ‘bubbles’ a thousand times greater in volume compared with a near-IR solid state laser of an equivalent power. Combined with a femtosecond electron linac available at the ATF, this wavelength scaling will facilitate the study of external seeding and staging of LWFAs.

Electromagnetic wave in a relativistic magnetized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasovitskiy, V. B.

2009-01-01

Results are presented from a theoretical investigation of the dispersion properties of a relativistic plasma in which an electromagnetic wave propagates along an external magnetic field. The dielectric tensor in integral form is simplified by separating its imaginary and real parts. A dispersion relation for an electromagnetic wave is obtained that makes it possible to analyze the dispersion and collisionless damping of electromagnetic perturbations over a broad parameter range for both nonrelativistic and ultrarelativistic plasmas.

Dielectric effects on Thomson scattering in a relativistic magnetized plasma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bindslev, H.

1991-01-01

The effects of the dielectric properties of a relativistic magnetized plasma on the scattering of electromagnetic radiation by fluctuations in electron density are investigated. The origin of the density fluctuations is not considered. Expressions for the scattering cross-section and the scattered...... power accepted by the receiving antenna are derived for a plasma with spatial dispersion. The resulting expressions allow thermal motion to be included in the description of the plasma and remain valid for frequencies of the probing radiation in the region of omega(p) and omega(ce), provided...... the absorption is small. Symmetry between variables relating to incident and scattered fields is demonstrated and shown to be in agreement with the reciprocity relation. Earlier results are confirmed in the cold plasma limit. Significant relativistic effects, of practical importance to the scattering...

Fast magnetic energy dissipation in relativistic plasma induced by high order laser modes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gu, Yanjun; Yu, Q.; Klimo, Ondřej; Esirkepov, T.Z.; Bulanov, S.V.; Weber, Stefan A.; Korn, Georg

2016-01-01

Roč. 4, Jun (2016), 1-5, č. článku e19. ISSN 2095-4719 R&D Projects: GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162 Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : high order laser mode * laser–plasma interaction * magnetic annihilation Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics

Focusing of relativistic electron bunch, moving in cylindrical plasma waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amatuni, A.Ts.; Ehlbakyan, S.S.; Sekhpossyan, E.V.

1994-01-01

The problem on the focusing of electron bunches moving with the relativistic velocity along the axis of cylindrical overdense plasma waveguide with the conducting internal surface is considered. The existence of periodic and nonperiodic components of the fields, generated in the plasma is shown. The conditions of electron bunch self-focusing by transverse electrical field and azimuthal magnetic field are derived. The possibility of the acceleration and focusing of electron or positron bunches by driving electron bunch wake field is discussed. The conditions, when the bunch in plasma waveguide moves without wake fields generating are obtained, which could be of the interest for the transport of relativistic electron (positron) bunches. 5 refs

Stabilization effect of a strong HF electrical field on beam-plasma interaction in a relativistic plasma waveguide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Shorbagy, K.H.

2000-07-01

The influence effect of a strong HF electrical field on the excitation of surface waves by an electron beam under the development of instability of low-density electron beam passing through plane relativistic plasma is investigated. Starting from the two fluid plasma model we separate the problem into two parts. The 'temporal' (dynamical) part enables us to find the frequencies and growth rates of unstable waves. This part within the redefinition of natural (eigen) frequencies coincide with the system describing HF suppression of the Buneman instability in a uniform unbounded plasma. Natural frequencies of oscillations and spatial distribution of the amplitude of the self-consistent electrical field are obtained by solving a boundary value problem ('spatial' part) considering a specific spatial distribution of plasma density. Plasma electrons are considered to have a relativistic velocity. It is shown that a HF electric field has no essential influence on dispersion characteristics of unstable surface waves excited in a relativistic plasma waveguide by a low-density electron beam. The region of instability only slightly narrowing and the growth rate decreases by a small parameter and this result has been reduced compared to nonrelativistic plasma. Also, it is found that the plasma electrons have not affected the solution of the space part of the problem. (author)

Study of self-focusing of Non Gaussian laser beam in a plasma with density variation using moment theory approach

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Nidhi; Kaur, Sukhdeep; Singh, Sukhmander

2018-05-01

In this paper, self-focusing/defocusing effects have been studied by taking into account the combined effect of ponder-motive and relativistic non linearity during the laser plasma interaction with density variation. The formulation is based on the numerical analysis of second order nonlinear differential equation for appropriate set of laser and plasma parameters by employing moment theory approach. We found that self-focusing increases with increasing the laser intensity and density variation. The results obtained are valuable in high harmonic generation, inertial confinement fusion and charge particle acceleration.

Betatron radiation from a laser-plasma accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schnell, Michael

2014-01-01

The presented thesis investigates the processes which lead to the generation of highenergetic X-ray radiation, also known as ''betatron radiation'', by means of a relativistic laser-plasma interaction. The generated betatron radiation has been extensively characterized by measuring its radiated intensity, energy distribution, far-field beam profile, and source size. It was shown for the first time that betatron radiation can be used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to retrieve very subtle information on the electron acceleration dynamics within the plasma wave. Furthermore, a compact polarimeter setup has been developed in a unique experiment in which the polarization state of the laser-plasma generated betatron radiation was measured in single-shot mode. This lead to a detailed study of the orientation of the electron trajectory within the plasma interaction. By controlling the injection of the electrons into the plasma wave it was demonstrated that one can tune the polarization state of the emitted X-rays. This result is very promising for further applications, particularly for feeding the electrons into an additional conventional accelerator or a permanent magnet based undulator for the production of intense X-ray beams. During this work, the experimental setup for accelerating electrons and generating high-energy X-ray beams was consistently improved: to enhance both its reliability and stability. Subsequently, the betatron radiation was used as a reliable diagnostic tool of the electron dynamics within the plasma. Parallel to the experimental work, 3-Dimensional Particle-In-Cell (3D-PlC) simulations were performed together with colleagues from the University of Duesseldorf. The simulations included the electron acceleration and the X-ray generation processes together with the recoil force acting on an accelerating electron caused by the emitted radiation during which one can also ascertain its polarization state. The simulations proved to be in good agreement

Solitons in a relativistic plasma with negative ions--

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, G.C.; Karmakar, B.; Ibohanbi Singh, KH.

1990-01-01

The interaction of the nonlinearity and the dispersiveness causing the solitary waves are studied in a relativistic plasma with negative ions through the derivation of a nonlinear partial differential equation known as the Korteweg-Devries (K-DV) equation. The negative ions play a salient feature on the existence and behavior of the solitons and could be of interest in laboratory plasmas. First, the observations are made in a nonisothermal plasma, and later the reduction to the nonisothermality of the plasma shows entirely different characteristics as compared to the solitons in the isothermal plasmas. A comparison with the various solutions has been emphasized

On the phase velocity of plasma waves in a self-modulated laser wake-field accelerator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andreev, N. E.; Kirsanov, V. I.; Sakharov, A. S.; van Amersfoort, P. W.; Goloviznin, V. V.

1996-01-01

The properties of the wake field excited by a flattop laser pulse with a sharp leading edge and a power below the critical one for relativistic self-focusing are studied analytically and numerically with emphasis on the phase velocity of the plasma wave. The paraxial model describing modulation of

Particle sources with high-intensity lasers: a tool for plasma diagnostics and an innovative source for applications; Sources de particules avec des lasers de haute intensite: un outil pour les diagnostics plasma et une source innovante pour les applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritzler, S

2003-09-15

This work is an experimental study on particle generation with high-intensity lasers. This document is divided into 4 parts, whereas the first is dedicated to theoretical basics of particle generation and acceleration mechanisms during relativistic laser plasma interactions, the 3 other parts cover experimental studies on neutron, electron as well as proton generation. In the first part basic laser and plasma characteristics will be introduced as well as physical processes of interest during the interaction of a relativistic high-intensity laser with an underdense / overdense plasma. In the second part we introduce methodological basics of neutron generation by D(d,n)He{sup 3} reactions since this can reveal information about ion kinetics and possible ion heating mechanisms in plasmas. Subsequently the set-up for this experiment, pursued in the underdense regime, will be described in detail. The experimental results will be discussed for the gas jet interaction as well as for the beam target model since it was deduced that plasma ions are heated during the interaction to fusion temperatures of about 1 keV. The third part describes the generation of an electron beam with an energy up to 200 MeV in a new regime termed 'forced laser Wakefield'. Here, the presented experimental results were for the first time fully explained and even extended by the numerical modelling of this interaction in terms of energy, yield, angular divergence, emittance as well as bunch length of this electron beam. In the last part we present a 10 MeV proton beam generation using foil targets and a 10 Hz laser. Again the kinematic simulation of this experiment is in agreement with the experimental results by means of yield and angular divergence.

Relativistic reversal of the ponderomotive force in a standing laser wave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pokrovsky, A.L.; Kaplan, A.E.

2005-01-01

Effect of relativistic reversal of the ponderomotive force (PF), reported earlier for a collinear configuration of electron and laser standing wave [A. E. Kaplan and A. L. Pokrovsky, Phys. Rev. Lett., 95, 053601 (2005)], is studied here theoretically for various types of polarizations of the laser beam. We demonstrated that the collinear configuration, in which the laser wave is linearly polarized with electric field E-vector parallel to the initial electron momentum p-vector 0 , is the optimal configuration for the relativistic reversal. In that case, the transverse PF reverses its direction when the incident momentum is p 0 =mc. The reversal effect vanishes in the cases of circular and linear with E-vector perpendicular p-vector 0 polarizations. We have discovered, however, that the counter-rotating circularly polarized standing waves develop attraction and repulsion areas along the axis of laser, in the laser field whose intensity is homogeneous in that axis, i.e., has no field gradient

Ion-acoustic envelope modes in a degenerate relativistic electron-ion plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McKerr, M.; Kourakis, I. [Centre for Plasma Physics, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen' s University Belfast, BT7 1NN Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom); Haas, F. [Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil)

2016-05-15

A self-consistent relativistic two-fluid model is proposed for one-dimensional electron-ion plasma dynamics. A multiple scales perturbation technique is employed, leading to an evolution equation for the wave envelope, in the form of a nonlinear Schrödinger type equation (NLSE). The inclusion of relativistic effects is shown to introduce density-dependent factors, not present in the non-relativistic case—in the conditions for modulational instability. The role of relativistic effects on the linear dispersion laws and on envelope soliton solutions of the NLSE is discussed.

Planar and nonplanar ion acoustic shock waves in relativistic degenerate astrophysical electron-positron-ion plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ata-ur-Rahman,; Qamar, A. [Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25000 (Pakistan); National Centre for Physics, QAU Campus, Shahdrah Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Ali, S. [National Centre for Physics, QAU Campus, Shahdrah Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Mirza, Arshad M. [Theoretical Plasma Physics Group, Physics Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan)

2013-04-15

We have studied the propagation of ion acoustic shock waves involving planar and non-planar geometries in an unmagnetized plasma, whose constituents are non-degenerate ultra-cold ions, relativistically degenerate electrons, and positrons. By using the reductive perturbation technique, Korteweg-deVries Burger and modified Korteweg-deVries Burger equations are derived. It is shown that only compressive shock waves can propagate in such a plasma system. The effects of geometry, the ion kinematic viscosity, and the positron concentration are examined on the ion acoustic shock potential and electric field profiles. It is found that the properties of ion acoustic shock waves in a non-planar geometry significantly differ from those in planar geometry. The present study has relevance to the dense plasmas, produced in laboratory (e.g., super-intense laser-dense matter experiments) and in dense astrophysical objects.

Instability and dynamics of two nonlinearly coupled intense laser beams in a quantum plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Yunliang; Shukla, P. K.; Eliasson, B.

2013-01-01

We consider nonlinear interactions between two relativistically strong laser beams and a quantum plasma composed of degenerate electron fluids and immobile ions. The collective behavior of degenerate electrons is modeled by quantum hydrodynamic equations composed of the electron continuity, quantum electron momentum (QEM) equation, as well as the Poisson and Maxwell equations. The QEM equation accounts the quantum statistical electron pressure, the quantum electron recoil due to electron tunneling through the quantum Bohm potential, electron-exchange, and electron-correlation effects caused by electron spin, and relativistic ponderomotive forces (RPFs) of two circularly polarized electromagnetic (CPEM) beams. The dynamics of the latter are governed by nonlinear wave equations that include nonlinear currents arising from the relativistic electron mass increase in the CPEM wave fields, as well as from the beating of the electron quiver velocity and electron density variations reinforced by the RPFs of the two CPEM waves. Furthermore, nonlinear electron density variations associated with the driven (by the RPFs) quantum electron plasma oscillations obey a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger and Poisson equations. The nonlinearly coupled equations for our purposes are then used to obtain a general dispersion relation (GDR) for studying the parametric instabilities and the localization of CPEM wave packets in a quantum plasma. Numerical analyses of the GDR reveal that the growth rate of a fastest growing parametrically unstable mode is in agreement with the result that has been deduced from numerical simulations of the governing nonlinear equations. Explicit numerical results for two-dimensional (2D) localized CPEM wave packets at nanoscales are also presented. Possible applications of our investigation to intense laser-solid density compressed plasma experiments are highlighted.

Kinetic magnetization by fast electrons in laser-produced plasmas at sub-relativistic intensities

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pisarczyk, T.; Gus'kov, S. Yu.; Chodukowski, T.; Dudžák, Roman; Korneev, Ph.; Demchenko, N. N.; Kalinowska, Z.; Dostál, Jan; Zaras-Szydlowska, A.; Borodziuk, S.; Juha, Libor; Cikhardt, Jakub; Krása, Josef; Klír, Daniel; Cikhardtová, B.; Kubeš, P.; Krouský, Eduard; Krůs, Miroslav; Ullschmied, Jiří; Jungwirth, Karel; Hřebíček, Jan; Medřík, Tomáš; Golasowski, Jiří; Pfeifer, Miroslav; Renner, Oldřich; Singh, Sushil K.; Kar, S.; Ahmed, H.; Skála, Jiří; Pisarczyk, P.

2017-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 10 (2017), s. 1-11, č. článku 102711. ISSN 1070-664X R&D Projects: GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 654148 - LASERLAB-EUROPE Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021 Keywords : laser-produced plasma * femtosecond polaro-interferometry * spontaneous magnetic fiel * spatial and temporal electron density distribution Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 2.115, year: 2016

Laser optically pumped by laser-produced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silfvast, W.T.; Wood, O.R. II.

1975-01-01

Laser solids, liquids and gases are pumped by a new technique in which the output from an efficient molecular laser, such as a CO 2 laser, ionizes a medium, such as xenon, into a generally cylindrical plasma volume, in proximity to the pumped laser body. Breakdown yields a visible and ultraviolet-radiation-emitting plasma in that volume to pump the laser body. The spectral radiance of the plasma is significantly higher than that produced by a dc-discharge-heated plasma at nearly all wavelengths in the plasma spectrum. The risetime of radiation from the laser-produced plasma can also be significantly shorter than that of a dc heated plasma. A further advantage resides in the fact that in some applications the attenuating walls needed by flashlamps may be eliminated with the result that laser threshold is more readily reached. Traveling wave excitation may be provided by oblique incidence of the pumping laser beam through the ionizable medium to create sequential ionization of portions of that medium along the length of the pumped laser body. (auth)

The elimination of pump depletion in laser-plasma beat-wave accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Jinxiu; Xu Zhizhan

1988-01-01

The pump depletion is a severe problem which hinders the laser-plasma beat-wave accelerator concept from being practical. Starting with the weak relativistic equation of beat-wave excitation of electron plasma waves, the authors have derived the condition for eliminating the pump depletion in the fame moving with the light pulse for arbitrary pulse shapes. It is shown that the depletion can be eliminated by a phase jump of π at the center of the pump pulse and by the appropriated choice of initial plasma density detuning. The numerical calculation have yielded the dependence of the initial detuning on the pump intensity for square pump pulses, and have supported the methods used in this paper

Dielectric response of a relativistic degenerate electron plasma in a strong magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delsante, A.E.; Frankel, N.E.

1979-01-01

The longitudinal dielectric response of a relativistic ultradegenerate electron plasma in a strong magnetic field is obtained via a relativistic generalization of the Hartree self-consistent field method. Dispersion relations and damping conditions for plasma oscillations both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field are obtained. Detailed results for the zero-field case, and applications to white dwarf stars and pulsars are given

Plasma heating by a relativistic electron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janssen, G.C.A.M.

1983-01-01

This thesis is devoted to the interaction of a Relativistic Electron Beam (REB) with a plasma. The goal of the experiment described herein is to study in detail the mechanism of energy transfer from the beam to the plasma. The beam particles have an energy of 800 keV, a current of 6 kA, a diameter of 3 cm and an adjustable pulse length of 50-150 ns. This beam is injected into cold hydrogen and helium plasmas with densities ranging from 10 18 to 10 20 m -3 . First, the technical aspects of the experiment are described. Then measurements on the hf fields excited by the REB-plasma are presented (optical line profiles and spectra of beam electrons). The final section is devoted to plasma heating. (Auth.)

Relativistic classical and quantum dynamics in intense crossed laser beams of various polarizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Verschl

2007-02-01

Full Text Available The dynamics of an electron in crossed laser fields is investigated analytically. Two different standing wave configurations are compared. The counterpropagating laser waves are either linearly or circularly polarized. Both configurations have in common that there are one-dimensional trajectories on which the electron can oscillate with vanishing Lorentz force. The dynamics is analyzed for the situations when the electron moves in the vicinity of these ideal axes. If the laser intensities imply nonrelativistic electron dynamics, the system is described quantum mechanically. A semiclassical treatment renders the strongly relativistic regime accessible as well. To describe relativistic wave packets, the results of the classical analysis are employed for a Monte Carlo ensemble. This allows for a comparison of the wave packet dynamics for both configurations in the strongly relativistic regime. It is found for certain cases that relativity slows down the dynamics, i.e., for higher laser intensities, wave packet spreading and the drift away from the ideal axis of vanishing Lorentz force are shown to be increasingly suppressed.

Relativistic electronic dressing in laser-assisted ionization of atomic hydrogen by electron impact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Attaourti, Y.; Taj, S.

2004-01-01

Within the framework of the coplanar binary geometry where it is justified to use plane wave solutions for the study of the (e,2e) reaction and in the presence of a circularly polarized laser field, we introduce as a first step the Dirac-Volkov plane wave Born approximation 1 where we take into account only the relativistic dressing of the incident and scattered electrons. Then, we introduce the Dirac-Volkov plane wave Born approximation 2 where we take totally into account the relativistic dressing of the incident, scattered, and ejected electrons. We then compare the corresponding triple differential cross sections for laser-assisted ionization of atomic hydrogen by electron impact both for the nonrelativistic and the relativistic regime

Formation of stable, high-beta, relativistic-electron plasmas using electron cyclotron heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guest, G.E.; Miller, R.L.

1988-01-01

A one-dimensional, steady-state, relativistic Fokker-Planck model of electron cyclotron heating (ECH) is used to analyse the heating kinetics underlying the formation of the two-component hot-electron plasmas characteristic of ECH in magnetic mirror configurations. The model is first applied to the well diagnosed plasmas obtained in SM-1 and is then used to simulate the effective generation of relativistic electrons by upper off-resonant heating (UORH), as demonstrated empirically in ELMO. The characteristics of unstable whistler modes and cyclotron maser modes are then determined for two-component hot-electron plasmas sustained by UORH. Cyclotron maser modes are shown to be strongly suppressed by the colder background electron species, while the growth rates of whistler modes are reduced by relativistic effects to levels that may render them unobservable, provided the hot-electron pressure anisotropy is below an energy dependent threshold. (author). 29 refs, 10 figs, 1 tab

Compressing and focusing a short laser pulse by a thin plasma lens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren, C.; Duda, B. J.; Hemker, R. G.; Mori, W. B.; Katsouleas, T.; Antonsen, T. M.; Mora, P.

2001-01-01

We consider the possibility of using a thin plasma slab as an optical element to both focus and compress an intense laser pulse. By thin we mean that the focal length is larger than the lens thickness. We derive analytic formulas for the spot size and pulse length evolution of a short laser pulse propagating through a thin uniform plasma lens. The formulas are compared to simulation results from two types of particle-in-cell code. The simulations give a greater final spot size and a shorter focal length than the analytic formulas. The difference arises from spherical aberrations in the lens which lead to the generation of higher-order vacuum Gaussian modes. The simulations also show that Raman side scattering can develop. A thin lens experiment could provide unequivocal evidence of relativistic self-focusing

The use of ring lasers for the measurement of relativistic effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denisov, V I; Zubrilo, A A; Kravtsov, Nikolai V; Pinchuk, V B

1999-01-01

The possibility of using a ring laser for the investigation of relativistic effects is analysed. It is shown that gravitational experiments permitting a refinement of certain (fundamental) aspects of the theory of gravitation will become possible in the near future. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

A relativistic solitary wave in electron positron plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezhiani, V.I.; Skarka, V.; Mahajan, S.

1993-09-01

The relativistic solitary wave propagation is studied in cold electron-positron plasma embedded in an external arbitrary strong magnetic field. The exact, analytical soliton-like solution corresponding to a localized, purely electromagnetic pulse with arbitrary big amplitude is found. (author). 7 refs, 1 fig

Relativistic Boltzmann theory for a plasma. II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erkelens, H. van; Leeuwen, W.A. van

1977-01-01

The linear or phenomenological laws such as Ohm's law, Fourier's law and Fick's law are derived for a relativistic plasma in an electromagnetic field. It is shown that the choice of a reference frame as proposed by Landau and Lifshitz entails - in contrast to, for instance, the choice of Eckart - the validity of Onsager's reciprocity relations. (Auth.)

Dielectric response of planar relativistic quantum plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardos, D.C.; Frankel, N.E.

1991-01-01

The dielectric response of planar relativistic charged particle-antiparticle plasmas is investigated, treating Fermi and Bose plasmas. The conductivity tensor in each case is derived in the self-consistent Random Phase Approximation. The tensors are then evaluated at zero temperature for the case of no external fields, leading to explicit dispersion relations for the electrodynamic modes of the plasma. The longitudinal and transverse modes are in general coupled for plasma layers. This coupling vanishes, however, in the zero field case, allowing 'effective' longitudinal and transverse dielectric functions to be defined in terms of components of the conductivity tensor. Solutions to the longitudinal mode equations (i.e. plasmon modes) are exhibited, while purely transverse modes are found not to exist. In the case of the Bose plasma the screening of a test charge is investigated in detail. 41 refs., 1 fig

Heating of a plasma by a powerful relativistic electron beam in a strong magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arzhannikov, A.V.; Brejzman, B.N.; Vyacheslavov, L.N.; Kojdan, V.S.; Konyukhov, V.V.; Ryutov, D.D.

1975-01-01

The results of an experimental investigation into the interaction of a powerful relativistic electron beam with plasma in the INAR apparatus are presented. The relativistic electron beam had initial energy of 1 MeV, maximum injection current of 10 kA, duration of 70 ns, and diameter of 2 cm. The total beam energy at entry into the plasma was approximately 300 J. The beam was injected into the column of a hydrogen plasma 230 cm long, 8 cm in diameter, and with a density of 3x10 14 cm -3 . The magnetic field had mirror-trap geometry (mirror ratio 1.7, intensity in the uniform region up to 15 kOe). In the experiments various diagnostic methods were used, making it possible to measure the beam current, the total current within the plasma, the total energy of the beam entering and leaving the plasma, and the distribution of beam current over the cross-section at the plasma outlet; the energy content of the plasma was determined from diamagnetic measurements; the electron distribution function was analysed by the method of Thomson scattering of light at 90 0 . From an analysis of the shape of the diamagnetic signals and distribution of diamagnetism along the length of the apparatus it was established that under the assumption of predominant electron heating, the temperature of plasma electrons in order of magnitude equals 1 keV for a plasma density of 5x10 13 cm -3 . The cause of heating cannot be dissipation of the reversed current. Thomson scattering of laser radiation indicated the presence of a comparatively cold plasma component with a temperature of 25 eV. High-energy electrons moving from the opposite direction toward the beam were recorded; their appearance evidently was associated with acceleration of plasma electrons in the induction fields. Mechanisms which can provide effective heating of the whole mass of electrons under conditions in which pair collisions are minor are indicated. (author)

Relativistic electron beam acceleration by cascading nonlinear Landau damping of electromagnetic waves in a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugaya, R.; Ue, A.; Maehara, T.; Sugawa, M.

1996-01-01

Acceleration and heating of a relativistic electron beam by cascading nonlinear Landau damping involving three or four intense electromagnetic waves in a plasma are studied theoretically based on kinetic wave equations and transport equations derived from relativistic Vlasov endash Maxwell equations. Three or four electromagnetic waves excite successively two or three nonresonant beat-wave-driven relativistic electron plasma waves with a phase velocity near the speed of light [v p =c(1-γ -2 p ) 1/2 , γ p =ω/ω pe ]. Three beat waves interact nonlinearly with the electron beam and accelerate it to a highly relativistic energy γ p m e c 2 more effectively than by the usual nonlinear Landau damping of two electromagnetic waves. It is proved that the electron beam can be accelerated to more highly relativistic energy in the plasma whose electron density decreases temporally with an appropriate rate because of the temporal increase of γ p . copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Solitary waves in dusty plasmas with weak relativistic effects in electrons and ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalita, B. C., E-mail: bckalita123@gmail.com [Gauhati University, Department of Mathematics (India); Choudhury, M., E-mail: choudhurymamani@gmail.com [Handique Girls’ College, Department of Mathematics (India)

2016-10-15

Two distinct classes of dust ion acoustic (DIA) solitary waves based on relativistic ions and electrons, dust charge Z{sub d} and ion-to-dust mass ratio Q’ = m{sub i}/m{sub d} are established in this model of multicomponent plasmas. At the increase of mass ratio Q’ due to increase of relativistic ion mass and accumulation of more negative dust charges into the plasma causing decrease of dust mass, relativistic DIA solitons of negative potentials are abundantly observed. Of course, relativistic compressive DIA solitons are also found to exist simultaneously. Further, the decrease of temperature inherent in the speed of light c causes the nonlinear term to be more active that increases the amplitude of the rarefactive solitons and dampens the growth of compressive solitons for relatively low and high mass ratio Q’, respectively. The impact of higher initial streaming of the massive ions is observed to identify the point of maximum dust density N{sub d} to yield rarefactive relativistic solitons of maximum amplitude.

Dielectric laser acceleration of non-relativistic electrons at a photonic structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breuer, John

2013-08-29

This thesis reports on the observation of dielectric laser acceleration of non-relativistic electrons via the inverse Smith-Purcell effect in the optical regime. Evanescent modes in the vicinity of a periodic grating structure can travel at the same velocity as the electrons along the grating surface. A longitudinal electric field component is used to continuously impart momentum onto the electrons. This is only possible in the near-field of a suitable photonic structure, which means that the electron beam has to pass the structure within about one wavelength. In our experiment we exploit the third spatial harmonic of a single fused silica grating excited by laser pulses derived from a Titanium:sapphire oscillator and accelerate non-relativistic 28 keV electrons. We measure a maximum energy gain of 280 eV, corresponding to an acceleration gradient of 25 MeV/m, already comparable with state-of-the-art radio-frequency linear accelerators. To experience this acceleration gradient the electrons approach the grating closer than 100 nm. We present the theory behind grating-based particle acceleration and discuss simulation results of dielectric laser acceleration in the near-field of photonic grating structures, which is excited by near-infrared laser light. Our measurements show excellent agreement with our simulation results and therefore confirm the direct acceleration with the light field. We further discuss the acceleration inside double grating structures, dephasing effects of non-relativistic electrons as well as the space charge effect, which can limit the attainable peak currents of these novel accelerator structures. The photonic structures described in this work can be readily concatenated and therefore represent a scalable realization of dielectric laser acceleration. Furthermore, our structures are directly compatible with the microstructures used for the acceleration of relativistic electrons demonstrated in parallel to this work by our collaborators in

Enhanced resonant second harmonic generation in plasma based on density transition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kant Niti

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Resonant second harmonic generation of a relativistic self-focusing laser in plasma with density ramp profile has been investigated. A high intense Gaussian laser beam generates resonant second harmonic beam in plasma with density ramp profile. The second harmonic undergoes periodic focusing in the plasma channel created by the fundamental wave. The normalized second harmonic amplitude varies periodically with distance and attains maximum value in the focal region. Enhancement in the second harmonic amplitude on account of relativistic self-focusing of laser based on plasma density transition is seen. Plasma density ramp plays an important role to make self-focusing stronger which leads to enhance the second harmonic generation in plasma.

Ionization and bound-state relativistic quantum dynamics in laser-driven multiply charged ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hetzheim, Henrik

2009-01-01

The interaction of ultra-strong laser fields with multiply charged hydrogen-like ions can be distinguished in an ionization and a bound dynamics regime. Both are investigated by means of numerically solving the Dirac equation in two dimensions and by a classical relativistic Monte-Carlo simulation. For a better understanding of highly nonlinear physical processes the development of a well characterized ultra-intense relativistic laser field strength has been driven forward, capable of studying e.g. the magnetic field effects of the laser resulting in an additional electron motion in the laser propagation direction. A novel method to sensitively measure these ultra-strong laser intensities is developed and employed from the optical via the UV towards the XUV frequency regime. In the bound dynamics field, the determination of multiphoton transition matrixelements has been investigated between different bound states via Rabi oscillations. (orig.)

Ionization and bound-state relativistic quantum dynamics in laser-driven multiply charged ions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hetzheim, Henrik

2009-01-14

The interaction of ultra-strong laser fields with multiply charged hydrogen-like ions can be distinguished in an ionization and a bound dynamics regime. Both are investigated by means of numerically solving the Dirac equation in two dimensions and by a classical relativistic Monte-Carlo simulation. For a better understanding of highly nonlinear physical processes the development of a well characterized ultra-intense relativistic laser field strength has been driven forward, capable of studying e.g. the magnetic field effects of the laser resulting in an additional electron motion in the laser propagation direction. A novel method to sensitively measure these ultra-strong laser intensities is developed and employed from the optical via the UV towards the XUV frequency regime. In the bound dynamics field, the determination of multiphoton transition matrixelements has been investigated between different bound states via Rabi oscillations. (orig.)

From laser-plasma accelerators to femtosecond X-ray sources: study, development and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corde, S.

2012-01-01

During the relativistic interaction between a short and intense laser pulse and an underdense plasma, electrons can be injected and accelerated up to hundreds of MeV in an accelerating structure formed in the wake of the pulse: this is the so-called laser-plasma accelerator. One of the major perspectives for laser-plasma accelerators resides in the realization of compact sources of femtosecond x-ray beams. In this thesis, two x-ray sources was studied and developed. The betatron radiation, intrinsic to laser-plasma accelerators, comes from the transverse oscillations of electrons during their acceleration. Its characterization by photon counting revealed an x-ray beam containing 10"9 photons, with energies extending above 10 keV. We also developed an all-optical Compton source producing photons with energies up to hundreds of keV, based on the collision between a photon beam and an electron beam. The potential of these x-ray sources was highlighted by the realization of single shot phase contrast imaging of a biological sample. Then, we showed that the betatron x-ray radiation can be a powerful tool to study the physics of laser-plasma acceleration. We demonstrated the possibility to map the x-ray emission region, which gives a unique insight into the interaction, permitting us for example to locate the region where electrons are injected. The x-ray angular and spectral properties allow us to gain information on the transverse dynamics of electrons during their acceleration. (author)

Laser-pulsed Plasma Chemistry: Laser-initiated Plasma Oxidation Of Niobium

OpenAIRE

Marks R.F.; Pollak R.A.; Avouris Ph.; Lin C.T.; Thefaine Y.J.

1983-01-01

We report the first observation of the chemical modification of a solid surface exposed to an ambient gas plasma initiated by the interaction of laser radiation with the same surface. A new technique, which we designate laser-pulsed plasma chemistry (LPPC), is proposed for activating heterogeneous chemical reactions at solid surfaces in a gaseous ambient by means of a plasma initiated by laser radiation. Results for niobium metal in one atmosphere oxygen demonstrate single-pulse, self-limitin...

Using self-generated harmonics as a diagnostic of high intensity laser-produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krushelnick, K; Watts, I; Tatarakis, M; Gopal, A; Wagner, U; Beg, F N; Clark, E L; Clarke, R J; Dangor, A E; Norreys, P A; Wei, M S; Zepf, M

2002-01-01

The interaction of high intensity laser pulses (up to I∼10 20 W cm -2 ) with plasmas can generate very high order harmonics of the laser frequency (up to the 75th order have been observed). Measurements of the properties of these harmonics can provide important insights into the plasma conditions which exist during such interactions. For example, observations of the spectrum of the harmonic emission can provide information of the dynamics of the critical surface as well as information on relativistic non-linear optical effects in the plasma. However, most importantly, observations of the polarization properties of the harmonics can provide a method to measure the ultra-strong magnetic fields (greater than 350 MG) which can be generated during these interactions. It is likely that such techniques can be scaled to provide a significant amount of information from experiments at even higher intensities

The effect of quantum correction on plasma electron heating in ultraviolet laser interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zare, S.; Sadighi-Bonabi, R., E-mail: Sadighi@sharif.ir; Anvari, A. [Department of Physics, Sharif University of Technology, P.O. Box 11365-9567, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yazdani, E. [Department of Energy Engineering and Physics, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Hora, H. [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052 (Australia)

2015-04-14

The interaction of the sub-picosecond UV laser in sub-relativistic intensities with deuterium is investigated. At high plasma temperatures, based on the quantum correction in the collision frequency, the electron heating and the ion block generation in plasma are studied. It is found that due to the quantum correction, the electron heating increases considerably and the electron temperature uniformly reaches up to the maximum value of 4.91 × 10{sup 7 }K. Considering the quantum correction, the electron temperature at the laser initial coupling stage is improved more than 66.55% of the amount achieved in the classical model. As a consequence, by the modified collision frequency, the ion block is accelerated quicker with higher maximum velocity in comparison with the one by the classical collision frequency. This study proves the necessity of considering a quantum mechanical correction in the collision frequency at high plasma temperatures.

Instability of the time splitting scheme for the one-dimensional and relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell system

CERN Document Server

Huot, F; Bertrand, P; Sonnendrücker, E; Coulaud, O

2003-01-01

The Time Splitting Scheme (TSS) has been examined within the context of the one-dimensional (1D) relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell model. In the strongly relativistic regime of the laser-plasma interaction, the TSS cannot be applied to solve the Vlasov equation. We propose a new semi-Lagrangian scheme based on a full 2D advection and study its advantages over the classical Splitting procedure. Details of the underlying integration of the Vlasov equation appear to be important in achieving accurate plasma simulations. Examples are given which are related to the relativistic modulational instability and the self-induced transparency of an ultra-intense electromagnetic pulse in the relativistic regime.

Genuine two-fluid computations of laser-plasma interaction for generation of nonlinear force driven plasma blocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nafari, F.; Yazdani, E.; Malekynia, B.; Ghoranneviss, M.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Anomalous interaction of picosecond laser pulses of terawatt to petawatt power is due to suppression of relativistic self-focusing if prepulses are cut-off by a contrast ratio higher than 10 8 . Resulting non-linear ponderomotive forces induced at the skin-layer interaction of a short laser-pulse with a proper preplasma layer produced by the laser prepulse in front of a solid target accelerate two thin (a few μm) quasi-neutral plasma blocks, propagating in forward and backward directions, backward moving against the laser light (ablation) and forward moving into the target. This compressed block produces an ion current density of above 10 11 A/cm 2 . This may support the requirement to produce a fast ignition deuterium tritium fusion at densities not much higher than the solid state by a single shot pw-ps laser pulse. With studying skin-layer subrelativistic interaction of a short (≤ 1 ps) laser pulse with an initial Rayleigh density profile in genuine two-fluid hydrodynamic model, time and spatial distributions of ion block temperature are presented.

Correlation function and electronic spectral line broadening in relativistic plasmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douis S.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The electrons dynamics and the time autocorrelation function Cee(t for the total electric microfield of the electrons on positive charge impurity embedded in a plasma are considered when the relativistic dynamic of the electrons is taken into account. We have, at first, built the effective potential governing the electrons dynamics. This potential obeys a nonlinear integral equation that we have solved numerically. Regarding the electron broadening of the line in plasma, we have found that when the plasma parameters change, the amplitude of the collision operator changes in the same way as the time integral of Cee(t. The electron-impurity interaction is taken at first time as screened Deutsh interaction and at the second time as Kelbg interaction. Comparisons of all interesting quantities are made with respect to the previous interactions as well as between classical and relativistic dynamics of electrons.

Explosive X-point collapse in relativistic magnetically dominated plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Lyutikov, Maxim; Sironi, Lorenzo; Komissarov, Serguei S.; Porth, Oliver

2017-12-01

The extreme properties of the gamma-ray flares in the Crab nebula present a clear challenge to our ideas on the nature of particle acceleration in relativistic astrophysical plasma. It seems highly unlikely that standard mechanisms of stochastic type are at work here and hence the attention of theorists has switched to linear acceleration in magnetic reconnection events. In this series of papers, we attempt to develop a theory of explosive magnetic reconnection in highly magnetized relativistic plasma which can explain the extreme parameters of the Crab flares. In the first paper, we focus on the properties of the X-point collapse. Using analytical and numerical methods (fluid and particle-in-cell simulations) we extend Syrovatsky's classical model of such collapse to the relativistic regime. We find that the collapse can lead to the reconnection rate approaching the speed of light on macroscopic scales. During the collapse, the plasma particles are accelerated by charge-starved electric fields, which can reach (and even exceed) values of the local magnetic field. The explosive stage of reconnection produces non-thermal power-law tails with slopes that depend on the average magnetization . For sufficiently high magnetizations and vanishing guide field, the non-thermal particle spectrum consists of two components: a low-energy population with soft spectrum that dominates the number census; and a high-energy population with hard spectrum that possesses all the properties needed to explain the Crab flares.

X-ray spectrum emitted by a laser-produced cerium plasma in the 7.5 to 12 A wavelength range

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doron, R.; Behar, E.; Fraenkel, M.; Mandelbaum, P.; Schwob, J.L.; Zigler, A.

2001-01-01

A highly stripped cerium (Z = 58) plasma is produced by irradiating a solid cerium target with an intense short laser pulse. The X-ray spectrum emitted from the plasma is recorded in the 7.5-12 A wavelength range using a flat RAP crystal spectrometer. Ab-initio calculations using the RELAC relativistic computer code, as well as isoelectronic trends deduced from previous works, together with spectra obtained under different laser beam focusing conditions, are all employed for the identification of the spectral lines and features emitted by various ions from Fe-like Ce 32+ to As-like Ce 25+ . The technique of comparing spectra obtained using different laser intensities is also employed to confirm or to resolve some ambiguous identifications of spectral features in the spectrum of a laser-produced lanthanum plasma studied in a previous work. (orig.)

X-ray spectrum emitted by a laser-produced cerium plasma in the 7.5 to 12 A wavelength range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doron, R.; Behar, E.; Fraenkel, M.; Mandelbaum, P.; Schwob, J.L.; Zigler, A. [Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem (Israel). Racah Inst. of Physics; Faenov, A.Ya.; Pikuz, T.A. [Multicharged Ion Spectra Data Center, VNIIFTRI, Mendeleevo (Russian Federation)

2001-01-01

A highly stripped cerium (Z = 58) plasma is produced by irradiating a solid cerium target with an intense short laser pulse. The X-ray spectrum emitted from the plasma is recorded in the 7.5-12 A wavelength range using a flat RAP crystal spectrometer. Ab-initio calculations using the RELAC relativistic computer code, as well as isoelectronic trends deduced from previous works, together with spectra obtained under different laser beam focusing conditions, are all employed for the identification of the spectral lines and features emitted by various ions from Fe-like Ce{sup 32+} to As-like Ce{sup 25+}. The technique of comparing spectra obtained using different laser intensities is also employed to confirm or to resolve some ambiguous identifications of spectral features in the spectrum of a laser-produced lanthanum plasma studied in a previous work. (orig.)

Laser-Driven Ultra-Relativistic Plasmas - Nuclear Fusion in Coulomb Shock Waves, Rouge Waves, and Background Matter

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-05

the time-scale of Big Bang , and the most significant time scale posts on the road to it. In his work [2], this PI also proposed specific mechanisms and...recently: (1) fully QED/relativistic theory of light pressure of 15.  SUBJECT TERMS plasmas Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8/98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18...large moving man-made objects in the ocean. A 2D and 3D expansion of the theory may need to be developed for other potential appli- cations of G

Extremely short relativistic-electron-bunch generation in the laser wakefield via novel bunch injection scheme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. G. Khachatryan

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Recently a new electron-bunch injection scheme for the laser wakefield accelerator has been proposed [JETP Lett. 74, 371 (2001JTPLA20021-364010.1134/1.1427124; Phys. Rev. E 65, 046504 (2002PLEEE81063-651X10.1103/PhysRevE.65.046504]. In this scheme, a low energy electron bunch, sent in a plasma channel just before a high-intensity laser pulse, is trapped in the laser wakefield, considerably compressed and accelerated to an ultrarelativistic energy. In this paper we show the possibility of the generation of an extremely short (on the order of 1   μm long or a few femtoseconds in duration relativistic-electron-bunch by this mechanism. The initial electron bunch, which can be generated, for example, by a laser-driven photocathode rf gun, should have an energy of a few hundred keVs to a few MeVs, a duration in the picosecond range or less and a relatively low concentration. The trapping conditions and parameters of an accelerated bunch are investigated. The laser pulse dynamics as well as a possible experimental setup for the demonstration of the injection scheme are also considered.

Self-Resonant Plasma Wake-Field Excitation by a Laser-Pulse with a Steep Leading-Edge for Particle-Acceleration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goloviznin, V. V.; van Amersfoort, P. W.

1995-01-01

The self-modulational instability of a relatively long laser pulse with a power close to or less than the critical power for relativistic self-focusing in plasma is considered. Strong wake-field excitation occurs as the result of a correlated transverse and longitudinal evolution of the pulse. The

Fully nonlinear heavy ion-acoustic solitary waves in astrophysical degenerate relativistic quantum plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Sultana, S.; Schlickeiser, R.

2018-05-01

Fully nonlinear features of heavy ion-acoustic solitary waves (HIASWs) have been investigated in an astrophysical degenerate relativistic quantum plasma (ADRQP) containing relativistically degenerate electrons and non-relativistically degenerate light ion species, and non-degenerate heavy ion species. The pseudo-energy balance equation is derived from the fluid dynamical equations by adopting the well-known Sagdeev-potential approach, and the properties of arbitrary amplitude HIASWs are examined. The small amplitude limit for the propagation of HIASWs is also recovered. The basic features (width, amplitude, polarity, critical Mach number, speed, etc.) of HIASWs are found to be significantly modified by the relativistic effect of the electron species, and also by the variation of the number density of electron, light ion, and heavy ion species. The basic properties of HIASWs, that may propagated in some realistic astrophysical plasma systems (e.g., in white dwarfs), are briefly discussed.

Suprathermal Electron Generation and Channel Formation by an Ultrarelativistic Laser Pulse in an Underdense Preformed Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malka, G.; Gaillard, R.; Miquel, J.L.; Rousseaux, C.; Bonnaud, G.; Busquet, M.; Lours, L.; Fuchs, J.; Pepin, H.; Fuchs, J.; Amiranoff, F.; Baton, S.D.

1997-01-01

Relativistic electrons are produced, with energies up to 20MeV, by the interaction of a high-intensity subpicosecond laser pulse (1 μm , 300 fs , 10 19 W/cm 2 ) with an underdense plasma. Two suprathermal electron populations appear with temperatures of 1 and 3MeV. In the same conditions, the laser beam transmission is increased up to 20% 30%. We observe both features along with the evidence of laser pulse channeling. A fluid model predicts a strong self-focusing of the pulse. Acceleration in the enhanced laser field seems the most likely mechanism leading to the second electron population. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Extended quasiparticle approximation for relativistic electrons in plasmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.G.Morozov

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Starting with Dyson equations for the path-ordered Green's function, it is shown that the correlation functions for relativistic electrons (positrons in a weakly coupled non-equilibrium plasmas can be decomposed into sharply peaked quasiparticle parts and off-shell parts in a rather general form. To leading order in the electromagnetic coupling constant, this decomposition yields the extended quasiparticle approximation for the correlation functions, which can be used for the first principle calculation of the radiation scattering rates in QED plasmas.

Relativistically Self-Channeled Femtosecond Terawatt Lasers for High-Field Physics and X-Ray Generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borisov, A.B.; Boyer, K.; Cameron, S.M.; Luk, T.S.; McPherson, A.; Nelson, T.; Rhodes, C.K.

1999-01-01

Optical channeling or refractive guiding processes involving the nonlinear interaction of intense femtosecond optical pulses with matter in the self-focussing regime has created exciting opportunities for next-generation laser plasma-based x-ray sources and directed energy applications. This fundamentally new form of extended paraxial electromagnetic propagation in nonlinear dispersive media such as underdense plasma is attributed to the interplay between normal optical diffraction and intensity-dependent nonlinear focussing and refraction contributions in the dielectric response. Superposition of these mechanisms on the intrinsic index profile acts to confine the propagating energy in a dynamic self-guiding longitudinal waveguide structure which is stable for power transmission and robust compression. The laser-driven channels are hypothesized to support a degree of solitonic transport behavior, simultaneously stable in the space and time domains (group velocity dispersion balances self-phase modulation), and are believed to be self-compensating for diffraction and dispersion over many Rayleigh lengths in contrast with the defining characteristics of conventional diffractive imaging and beamforming. By combining concentrated power deposition with well-ordered spatial localization, this phenomena will also create new possibilities for production and regulation of physical interactions, including electron beams, enhanced material coupling, and self-modulated plasma wakefields, over extended gain distances with unprecedented energy densities. Harmonious combination of short-pulse x-ray production with plasma channeling resulting from a relativistic charge displacement nonlinearity mechanism in the terawatt regime (10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}) has been shown to generate high-field conditions conducive to efficient multi-kilovolt x-ray amplification and peak spectral brightness. Channeled optical propagation with intense short-pulse lasers is expected to impact several

Electron self-injection and acceleration in the bubble regime of laser-plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostyukov, I.; Nerush, E.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The intense laser-plasma and beam-plasma interactions are highly nonlinear-phenomena, which besides being of fundamental interest, attract a great attention due to a number of important applications. One of the key applications is particle acceleration based on excitation of the strong plasma wakefield by laser pulse. In the linear regime of interaction when the laser intensity is low the plasma wake is the linear plasma wave. Moreover, the ponderomotive force of the laser pulse pushes out the plasma electrons from high intensity region leaving behind the laser pulse the plasma cavity - bubble, which is almost free from the plasma electrons. This is the bubble the laser-plasma interaction. Although the bubble propagates with velocity, which is close to speed of light, the huge charge of unshielded ions inside the plasma cavity can trap the cold plasma electrons. Moreover, the electrons are trapped in the accelerated phase of the bubble plasma field thereby leading to efficient electron acceleration. The electron self-injection is an important advantage of the plasma-based acceleration, which allows to exclude the beam loading system requiring accurate synchronization and additional space. The recent experiments have demonstrated high efficiency of the electron self-injection. The beam quality is often of crucial importance in many applications ranging from inertial confinement fusion to the x-ray free electron lasers. Despite a great interest there is still a little theory for relativistic electron dynamics in the plasma wake in multidimensional geometry including electron self-injection. The dynamics of the self-injected electrons can be roughly divided into three stage: (i) electron scattering by the laser pulse, (ii) electron trapping by the bubble, (iii) electron acceleration in the bubble. We developed two analytical models for electron dynamics in the bubble field and verify them by direct measurements of model parameters

A monolithic relativistic electron beam source based on a dielectric laser accelerator structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNeur, Josh; Carranza, Nestor; Travish, Gil; Yin Hairong; Yoder, Rodney

2012-01-01

Work towards a monolithic device capable of producing relativistic particle beams within a cubic-centimeter is detailed. We will discuss the Micro-Accelerator Platform (MAP), an optical laser powered dielectric accelerator as the main building block of this chip-scale source along with a field enhanced emitter and a region for sub-relativistic acceleration.

Simulation of laser interaction with ablative plasma and hydrodynamic behavior of laser supported plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tong Huifeng; Yuan Hong [Institute of Fluid Physics, Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, P.O. Box 919-101, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900 (China); Tang Zhiping [CAS Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

2013-01-28

When an intense laser beam irradiates on a solid target, ambient air ionizes and becomes plasma, while part of the target rises in temperature, melts, vaporizes, ionizes, and yet becomes plasma. A general Godunov finite difference scheme WENO (Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory Scheme) with fifth-order accuracy is used to simulate 2-dimensional axis symmetrical laser-supported plasma flow field in the process of laser ablation. The model of the calculation of ionization degree of plasma and the interaction between laser beam and plasma are considered in the simulation. The numerical simulations obtain the profiles of temperature, density, and velocity at different times which show the evolvement of the ablative plasma. The simulated results show that the laser energy is strongly absorbed by plasma on target surface and that the velocity of laser supported detonation (LSD) wave is half of the ideal LSD value derived from Chapman-Jouguet detonation theory.

Heating of a plasma by a powerful relativistic electron beam in a strong magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arzhannikov, A.V.; Brejzman, B.N.; Vyacheslavov, L.N.; Kojdan, V.S.; Konyukhov, V.V.; Ryutov, D.D.

1975-01-01

The results of an experimental investigation into the interaction of a powerful relativistic electron beam with plasma in the INAR apparatus are presented. The relativistic electron beam had initial energy of 1 MeV, maximum injection current of 10 kA, duration of 70 ns, and diameter of 2 cm. The total beam energy at entry into the plasma was approximately 300 J. The beam was injected into the column of a hydrogen plasma 230 cm long, 8 cm in diameter, and with a density of 3 x 10 14 cm -3 . The magnetic field had mirror-trap geometry (mirror ratio 1.7, intensity in the uniform portion up to 15 kOe). In the experiments, various diagnostic methods were used, making it possible to measure the beam current, the total current within the plasma, the total energy of the beam entering and leaving the plasma, and the distribution of beam current over the cross-section at the plasma outlet; opposing high-energy electrons were recorded. The density of the preliminary plasma was controlled during the experiment; the energy content of the plasma was determined from diamagnetic measurements; the electron distribution function was analysed by the method of Thomson scattering of light at 90deg. From an analysis of the shape of the diamagnetic signals and distribution of diamagnetism along the length of the apparatus it was established that under the assumption of predominant electron heating, the temperature of plasma electrons in order of magnitude equals 1 keV for a plasma density of 5 x 10 13 cm -3 . The cause of heating cannot be dissipation of the reversed current. According to Thomson scattering of laser radiation, the authors established the presence of a comparatively cold plasma component with temperature of 25 eV. High-energy electrons moving from the opposite direction toward the beam were recorded; their appearance evidently was associated with acceleration of plasma electrons in the induction fields. Mechanisms which can provide effective heating of the whole mass of

Study of the radiation X-UV produced during the relativistic interaction between a femtosecond laser and an helium plasma; Etude du rayonnement X-UV produit lors de l'interaction relativiste entre un laser femtoseconde et un plasme d'helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ta Phuoc, K

2002-10-15

The aim of this work is to design a new source of X-radiation that is both femtosecond and polychromatic. We have studied the Larmor radiation emitted during the relativistic interaction between an intense femtosecond laser and an under dense helium plasma. When the value of a{sub 0}, the laser force parameter, is below 1 and when the interaction is volume is important, the characteristics of the emitted radiation are those of Bremsstrahlung radiation and radiative recombination. When the value of a{sub 0} is about 5 the emitted radiation is strongly different and look like much more the Larmor radiation. Nevertheless some features such as the shape of the angular distribution or the amplitude of the laser polarization effect are not yet well understood. The spectra of the X-ray produced is peaked around 150 eV and spreads up to 2 keV. The number of photons produced by laser shot is over 10{sup 9} and the duration of the X-ray impulse is expected to be in the same order of magnitude as that of the laser impulse: 30 fs. The average photon flux is 2*10{sup 3} ph/s/0.1%BW at 2 keV and reaches 6*10{sup 7} ph/s/0.1%BW at 0.15 keV. The average brilliance is 1.5*10{sup 4} ph/s/mm{sup 2}/mrad{sup 2}/0.1%BW at 2 keV and 8*10{sup 4} ph/s/mm{sup 2}/mrad{sup 2}/0.1%BW at 0.15 keV. Different ways are considered to improve the characteristics of this new X-ray source. (A.C.)

Plasma cutting or laser cutting. Plasma setsudan ka laser setsudan ka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, A. (Tanaka Engineering Works Ltd., Saitama (Japan))

1991-05-01

Comparisons and discussions were made on the plasma cutting and laser cutting in sheet steel cutting, referring partly to gas cutting. Historically, the cutting has been developed from gas, plasma, and laser in that order, and currently these three methods are used mixedly. Generally, the plasma cutting is superior in cutting speed, but inferior in cut face quality, and it requires measures of dust collection. Due to high accuracy and quality in cut face, the laser cutting has been practically used for quite some time in the thin sheet industry, but medium to thick sheet cutting had a problem of unavailability of high output laser suitable for these ranges. However, the recent technologies have overcome the problem as a result of development at the authors {prime} company of a 2 kW class laser cutter capable of cutting 19 mm thick sheet. The cutter has been proven being particularly excellent in controllability. Choice of whether plasma or laser would depend upon which priority is to be taken, cost or accuracy. 15 figs., 3 tabs.

Laser beam-plasma plume interaction during laser welding

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Jacek; Moscicki, Tomasz; Szymanski, Zygmunt

2003-10-01

Laser welding process is unstable because the keyhole wall performs oscillations which results in the oscillations of plasma plume over the keyhole mouth. The characteristic frequencies are equal to 0.5-4 kHz. Since plasma plume absorbs and refracts laser radiation, plasma oscillations modulate the laser beam before it reaches the workpiece. In this work temporary electron densities and temperatures are determined in the peaks of plasma bursts during welding with a continuous wave CO2 laser. It has been found that during strong bursts the plasma plume over the keyhole consists of metal vapour only, being not diluted by the shielding gas. As expected the values of electron density are about two times higher in peaks than their time-averaged values. Since the plasma absorption coefficient scales as ~N2e/T3/2 (for CO2 laser radiation) the results show that the power of the laser beam reaching the metal surface is modulated by the plasma plume oscillations. The attenuation factor equals 4-6% of the laser power but it is expected that it is doubled by the refraction effect. The results, together with the analysis of the colour pictures from streak camera, allow also interpretation of the dynamics of the plasma plume.

The influence of ion temperature on solitary waves in collisionless weak relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerepaniuc, Adina

2004-01-01

Korteweg-de Vries equation is used to study the influence of the ion temperature, on the ion acoustic waves in the frame of collisionless plasma's weak relativistic effect. In the literature it is discussed the influence of ion temperature on the ion acoustic wave in a relativistic plasma for a ratio of the ion flow velocity to the light velocity between 0 and 1. In this paper, the dependence of the phase velocity on the relativistic effect for different values of the ratio of the ion temperature to the electron temperature is studied. In case of weak relativistic effect (ratio of the ion flow velocity to the light velocity is 10 -6 and the step of the representation is 10 -6 ) we noticed the occurrence of an antisoliton within soliton amplitude graphical representation as function of the relativistic effect and the temperature ratio. The novelty of this article consists in the fact that a much smaller interval is considered for velocity ratio (size) and we studied the influence of ion temperature on ion acoustic wave in a collisionless relativistic plasma. We performed the numerical calculation of equations and we plotted the phase velocity and the amplitude of soliton wave as a function of velocity ratio and the temperature ratio. We considered the step of velocity ratio variation equal with 10 -6 and the step of temperature ratio variation 10 -2 . The observation made in this paper refines the results of other authors who studied these equations for velocity ratio variation of 10 -1 . In herein chosen interval we observed new phenomena that were not noticed in the case of choosing larger intervals. (author)

Longitudinal waves and a beam instability in a relativistic anisotropic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onishchenko, O.G.

1981-01-01

Dispersion relations are derived for longitudinal waves in a relativistic plasma with an arbitrary anisotropic particle distribution function. Longitudinal waves with phase velocity lower than the speed of light are shown to exist in such a plasma. The damping rate of longitudinal waves due to the Cerenkov interaction with plasma particles is derived for such a plasma. The instability of a beam of high-energy particles in such a plasma is studied. As the anisotropy of an ultrarelativistic plasma becomes less pronounced, the maximum hydrodynamic growth rate decreases

Study of ultra-high gradient wakefield excitation by intense ultrashort laser pulses in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotaki, Hideyuki

2002-12-01

We investigate a mechanism of nonlinear phenomena in laser-plasma interaction, a laser wakefield excited by intense laser pulses, and the possibility of generating an intense bright electron source by an intense laser pulse. We need to understand and further employ some of these phenomena for our purposes. We measure self-focusing, filamentation, and the anomalous blueshift of the laser pulse. The ionization of gas with the self-focusing causes a broad continuous spectrum with blueshift. The normal blueshift depends on the laser intensity and the plasma density. We, however, have found different phenomenon. The laser spectrum shifts to fixed wavelength independent of the laser power and gas pressure above some critical power. We call the phenomenon 'anomalous blueshift'. The results are explained by the formation of filaments. An intense laser pulse can excite a laser wakefield in plasma. The coherent wakefield excited by 2 TW, 50 fs laser pulses in a gas-jet plasma around 10 18 cm -3 is measured with a time-resolved frequency domain interferometer (FDI). The density distribution of the helium gas is measured with a time-resolved Mach-Zehnder interferometer to search for the optimum laser focus position and timing in the gas-jet. The results show an accelerating wakefield excitation of 20 GeV/m with good coherency, which is useful for ultrahigh gradient particle acceleration in a compact system. This is the first time-resolved measurement of laser wakefield excitation in a gas-jet plasma. The experimental results are compared with a Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulation. The pump-probe interferometer system of FDI and the anomalous blueshift will be modified to the optical injection system as a relativistic electron beam injector. In 1D PIC simulation we obtain the results of high quality intense electron beam acceleration. These results illuminate the possibility of a high energy and a high quality electron beam acceleration. (author)

Quantum ion-acoustic solitary waves in weak relativistic plasma

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Small amplitude quantum ion-acoustic solitary waves are studied in an unmagnetized two- species relativistic quantum plasma system, comprised of electrons and ions. The one-dimensional quantum hydrodynamic model (QHD) is used to obtain a deformed Korteweg–de Vries (dKdV) equation by reductive ...

Scaling electron acceleration in the bubble regime for upcoming lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jansen, O.; Tueckmantel, T.; Pukhov, A.

2014-01-01

Electron acceleration in the laser-plasma bubble appeared to be the most successful regime of laser wake field acceleration in the last decade. The laser technology became mature enough to generate short and relativistically intense pulses required to reach the bubble regime naturally delivering quasi-monoenergetic bunches of relativistic electrons. The upcoming laser technology projects are promising short pulses with many times more energy than the existing ones. The natural question is how will the bubble regime scale with the available laser energy. We present here a parametric study of laser-plasma acceleration in the bubble regime using full three dimensional particle-in-cell simulations and compare numerical results with the analytical scalings from the relativistic laser-plasma similarity theory. Our simulations and the theory match almost perfectly for spot sizes above R = 2λ and laser amplitudes above a 0 = 4. We also studied the emission of synchrotron radiation by the accelerated electrons. Both classical and a QED model were applied. We found borders, at which theory and simulations stopped matching. With small spot radii (R < 2λ) we almost never observed the formation of a bubble structure or any form of mono-energetic acceleration. Low laser amplitudes lead to higher energies than predicted by the theory

Polarization transfer in relativistic magnetized plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Heyvaerts, Jean; Pichon, Christophe; Prunet, Simon; Thiébaut, Jérôme

2013-04-01

The polarization transfer coefficients of a relativistic magnetized plasma are derived. These results apply to any momentum distribution function of the particles, isotropic or anisotropic. Particles interact with the radiation either in a non-resonant mode when the frequency of the radiation exceeds their characteristic synchrotron emission frequency or quasi-resonantly otherwise. These two classes of particles contribute differently to the polarization transfer coefficients. For a given frequency, this dichotomy corresponds to a regime change in the dependence of the transfer coefficients on the parameters of the particle's population, since these parameters control the relative weight of the contribution of each class of particles. Our results apply to either regimes as well as the intermediate one. The derivation of the transfer coefficients involves an exact expression of the conductivity tensor of the relativistic magnetized plasma that has not been used hitherto in this context. Suitable expansions valid at frequencies much larger than the cyclotron frequency allow us to analytically perform the summation over all resonances at high harmonics of the relativistic gyrofrequency. The transfer coefficients are represented in the form of two-variable integrals that can be conveniently computed for any set of parameters by using Olver's expansion of high-order Bessel functions. We particularize our results to a number of distribution functions, isotropic, thermal or power law, with different multipolar anisotropies of low order, or strongly beamed. Specifically, earlier exact results for thermal distributions are recovered. For isotropic distributions, the Faraday coefficients are expressed in the form of a one-variable quadrature over energy, for which we provide the kernels in the high-frequency limit and in the asymptotic low-frequency limit. An interpolation formula extending over the full energy range is proposed for these kernels. A similar reduction to a

Simulations of relativistic quantum plasmas using real-time lattice scalar QED

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yuan; Xiao, Jianyuan; Qin, Hong; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2018-05-01

Real-time lattice quantum electrodynamics (QED) provides a unique tool for simulating plasmas in the strong-field regime, where collective plasma scales are not well separated from relativistic-quantum scales. As a toy model, we study scalar QED, which describes self-consistent interactions between charged bosons and electromagnetic fields. To solve this model on a computer, we first discretize the scalar-QED action on a lattice, in a way that respects geometric structures of exterior calculus and U(1)-gauge symmetry. The lattice scalar QED can then be solved, in the classical-statistics regime, by advancing an ensemble of statistically equivalent initial conditions in time, using classical field equations obtained by extremizing the discrete action. To demonstrate the capability of our numerical scheme, we apply it to two example problems. The first example is the propagation of linear waves, where we recover analytic wave dispersion relations using numerical spectrum. The second example is an intense laser interacting with a one-dimensional plasma slab, where we demonstrate natural transition from wakefield acceleration to pair production when the wave amplitude exceeds the Schwinger threshold. Our real-time lattice scheme is fully explicit and respects local conservation laws, making it reliable for long-time dynamics. The algorithm is readily parallelized using domain decomposition, and the ensemble may be computed using quantum parallelism in the future.

Analysis of the x-ray spectrum emitted by laser-produced plasma of dysprosium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marcus, Gilad; Louzon, Einat; Henis, Zohar; Maman, Shlomo; Mandelbaum, Pinchas

2007-01-01

A detailed analysis of the x-ray spectrum (5-10.2 A ring ) emitted by laser-produced plasma of dysprosium (Dy) is given using ab initio calculations with the HULLAC relativistic code and isoelectronic trends. Resonance 3d-4p, 3d-nf (n=4 to 7), 3p-4s, and 3p-4d transitions of Ni I-like Dy XXXIX and neighboring ion satellite transitions (from Dy XXXIV to Dy XL) are identified

Production of ultrahigh ion current densities at skin-layer subrelativistic laser-plasma interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badziak, J [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw (Poland); Glowacz, S [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw (Poland); Jablonski, S [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw (Poland); Parys, P [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw (Poland); Wolowski, J [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Warsaw (Poland); Hora, H [Department of Theoretical Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney (Australia); Krasa, J [Institute of Physics, ASCR, Prague (Czech Republic); Laska, L [Institute of Physics, ASCR, Prague (Czech Republic); Rohlena, K [Institute of Physics, ASCR, Prague (Czech Republic)

2004-12-01

Some applications of fast ions driven by a short ({<=}1 ps) laser pulse (e.g. fast ignition of ICF targets, x-ray laser pumping, laboratory astrophysics research or some nuclear physics experiments) require ion beams of picosecond (or shorter) time durations and of very high ion current densities ({approx}10{sup 10} A cm{sup -2} or higher). A possible way of producing ion beams with such extreme parameters is ballistic focusing of fast ions generated by a target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA) mechanism at relativistic laser intensities. In this paper we discuss another method, where the production of short-pulse ion beams of ultrahigh current densities is possible in a planar geometry at subrelativistic laser intensities and at a low energy ({<=}1 J) of the laser pulse. This method-referred to as skin-layer ponderomotive acceleration (S-LPA)-uses strong ponderomotive forces induced at the skin-layer interaction of a short laser pulse with a proper preplasma layer in front of a solid target. The basic features of the high-current ion generation by S-LPA were investigated using a simplified theory, numerical hydrodynamic simulations and measurements. The experiments were performed with subjoule 1 ps laser pulses interacting with massive or thin foil targets at intensities of up to 2 x 10{sup 17} W cm{sup -2}. It was found that both in the backward and forward directions highly collimated high-density ion beams (plasma blocks) with current densities at the ion source (close to the target) approaching 10{sup 10} A cm{sup -2} are produced, in accordance with the theory and numerical calculations. These ion current densities were found to be comparable to (or even higher than) those estimated from recent short-pulse TNSA experiments with relativistic laser intensities. Apart from the simpler physics of the laser-plasma interaction, the advantage of the considered method is the low energy of the driving laser pulses allowing the production of ultrahigh

Self-focusing relativistic electron streams in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, J.L. Jr.

1975-01-01

A relativistic electron stream propagating through a dense plasma induces current and charge densities which determine how the stream can self-focus. Magnetic self-focusing is possible because stream-current neutralization, although extensive, is not complete. Electric self-focusing can occur because the stream charge becomes overneutralized when the net current is smaller than a critical value. Under some circumstances, the latter process can cause the stream to focus into a series of electron bunches

Magnetic field generation during intense laser channelling in underdense plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smyth, A. G.; Sarri, G.; Doria, D.; Kar, S.; Borghesi, M. [School of Mathematics and Physics, The Queen' s University of Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Vranic, M.; Guillaume, E.; Silva, L. O.; Vieira, J. [GoLP/IPFN, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon (Portugal); Amano, Y.; Habara, H.; Tanaka, K. A. [Graduate School of Engineering Osaka University. Suita, Osaka 5650871 (Japan); Heathcote, R.; Norreys, P. A. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon OX1 0Qx (United Kingdom); Hicks, G.; Najmudin, Z.; Nakamura, H. [Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Channel formation during the propagation of a high-energy (120 J) and long duration (30 ps) laser pulse through an underdense deuterium plasma has been spatially and temporally resolved via means of a proton imaging technique, with intrinsic resolutions of a few μm and a few ps, respectively. Conclusive proof is provided that strong azimuthally symmetric magnetic fields with a strength of around 0.5 MG are created inside the channel, consistent with the generation of a collimated beam of relativistic electrons. The inferred electron beam characteristics may have implications for the cone-free fast-ignition scheme of inertial confinement fusion.

Generation of relativistic electron bunches in plasma synchrotron Gyrac-x for hard x-ray production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreev, V.V.; Umnov, A.M.

2000-01-01

Experiment performed on plasma synchrotron Gyrac-X operating on synchrotron gyromagnetic autoresonance (SGA) is described. Gyrac-X is a compact plasma x-ray source in which kinetic energy of relativistic electrons obtained under SGA converts into x-ray by falling e-bunches on to a heavy metal target. The plasma synchrotron acts in a regime of a magnetic field pulse packet under constant level of microwave power. Experiments and numerical modeling of the process showed that such a regime allowed obtaining dense short lived relativistic electron bunches with average electron energy of 500 keV - 4.5 MeV. Parameters of the relativistic electron bunch (energy, density and volume) and dynamics of the electron bunches can be controlled by varying the parameters of the SGA process. Possibilities of x-ray intensity increase are also discussed

Betatron emission as a diagnostic for injection and acceleration mechanisms in laser plasma accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corde, S; Thaury, C; Phuoc, K Ta; Lifschitz, A; Lambert, G; Lundh, O; Brijesh, P; Sebban, S; Rousse, A; Faure, J; Malka, V; Arantchuk, L

2012-01-01

Betatron x-ray emission in laser plasma accelerators is a promising compact source that may be an alternative to conventional x-ray sources, based on large scale machines. In addition to its potential as a source, precise measurements of betatron emission can reveal crucial information about relativistic laser–plasma interaction. We show that the emission length and the position of the x-ray emission can be obtained by placing an aperture mask close to the source, and by measuring the beam profile of the betatron x-ray radiation far from the aperture mask. The position of the x-ray emission gives information on plasma wave breaking and hence on the laser non-linear propagation. Moreover, the measurement of the longitudinal extension helps one to determine whether the acceleration is limited by pump depletion or dephasing effects. In the case of multiple injections, it is used to retrieve unambiguously the position in the plasma of each injection. This technique is also used to study how, in a capillary discharge, the variations of the delay between the discharge and the laser pulse affect the interaction. The study reveals that, for a delay appropriate for laser guiding, the x-ray emission only occurs in the second half of the capillary: no electrons are injected and accelerated in the first half. (paper)

Inductive and electrostatic acceleration in relativistic jet-plasma interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ng, Johnny S T; Noble, Robert J

2006-03-24

We report on the observation of rapid particle acceleration in numerical simulations of relativistic jet-plasma interactions and discuss the underlying mechanisms. The dynamics of a charge-neutral, narrow, electron-positron jet propagating through an unmagnetized electron-ion plasma was investigated using a three-dimensional, electromagnetic, particle-in-cell computer code. The interaction excited magnetic filamentation as well as electrostatic plasma instabilities. In some cases, the longitudinal electric fields generated inductively and electrostatically reached the cold plasma-wave-breaking limit, and the longitudinal momentum of about half the positrons increased by 50% with a maximum gain exceeding a factor of 2 during the simulation period. Particle acceleration via these mechanisms occurred when the criteria for Weibel instability were satisfied.

ILIAS. Ion and laser beam interaction and application studies. Progress report no. 3 of the PHELIX theory group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mulser, P. (ed.)

2008-04-15

The following topics are dealt with: The PHELIX laser-plasma facility, coupling of nuclear matter to intense photon fields, QED effects in strong laser fields, relativistic critical density increase in a linearly polarized laser beam, absorption of ultrashort laser pulses in strongly overdense targets, Coulomb focusing in electron-ion collisions in a strong laser field, quasiperiodic waves in relativistic plasmas, high-energy-density physics studied by intense particle beams, heavy ions in a high-power laser beam, Monte-Carlo study of electron dynamics in silicon during irradiation with an ultrashort VUV laser pulse. (HSI)

ILIAS. Ion and laser beam interaction and application studies. Progress report no. 3 of the PHELIX theory group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mulser, P.

2008-04-01

The following topics are dealt with: The PHELIX laser-plasma facility, coupling of nuclear matter to intense photon fields, QED effects in strong laser fields, relativistic critical density increase in a linearly polarized laser beam, absorption of ultrashort laser pulses in strongly overdense targets, Coulomb focusing in electron-ion collisions in a strong laser field, quasiperiodic waves in relativistic plasmas, high-energy-density physics studied by intense particle beams, heavy ions in a high-power laser beam, Monte-Carlo study of electron dynamics in silicon during irradiation with an ultrashort VUV laser pulse. (HSI)

Acceleration of a solid-density plasma projectile to ultrahigh velocities by a short-pulse ultraviolet laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badziak, J.; Jablonski, S. [Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Euratom Association, 01-497 Warsaw (Poland)

2011-08-15

It is shown by means of particle-in-cell simulations that a high-fluence ({>=}1 GJ/cm{sup 2}) solid-density plasma projectile can be accelerated up to sub-relativistic velocities by radiation pressure of an ultraviolet (UV) picosecond laser pulse of moderate values of dimensionless laser amplitude a{sub 0}{approx}10. The efficiency of acceleration by the UV laser is significantly higher than in the case of long-wavelength ({lambda} {approx} 1 {mu}m) driver of a comparable value of a{sub 0}, and the motion of the projectile is fairly well described by the ''Light Sail'' acceleration model.

Nonlinear interaction of a parallel-flow relativistic electron beam with a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jungwirth, K.; Koerbel, S.; Simon, P.; Vrba, P.

1975-01-01

Nonlinear evolution of single-mode high-frequency instabilities (ω approximately ksub(parallel)vsub(b)) excited by a parallel-flow high-current relativistic electron beam in a magnetized plasma is investigated. Fairly general dimensionless equations are derived. They describe both the temporal and the spatial evolution of amplitude and phase of the fundamental wave. Numerically, the special case of excitation of the linearly most unstable mode is solved in detail assuming that the wave energy dissipation is negligible. Then the strength of interaction and the relativistic properties of the beam are fully respected by a single parameter lambda. The value of lambda ensuring the optimum efficiency of the wave excitation as well as the efficiency of the self-acceleration of some beam electrons at higher values of lambda>1 are determined in the case of a fully compensated relativistic beam. Finally, the effect of the return current dissipation is also included (phenomenologically) into the theoretical model, its role for the beam-plasma interaction being checked numerically. (J.U.)

Interaction of High Intensity Electromagnetic Waves with Plasmas: Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shvets, G.

2008-01-01

The focus of our work during the duration of this grant was on the following areas: (a) the fundamental plasma physics of intense laser-plasma interactions, including the nonlinear excitation of plasma waves for accelerator applications, as well as the recently discovered by us phenomenon of the relativistic bi-stability of relativistic plasma waves driven by a laser beatwave; (b) interaction of high power microwave beams with magnetized plasma, including some of the recently discovered by us phenomena such as the Undulator Induced Transparency (UIT) as well as the new approaches to dynamic manipulation of microwave pulses; (c) investigations of the multi-color laser pulse interactions in the plasma, including the recently discovered by us phenomenon of Electromagnetic Cascading (EC) and the effect of the EC of three-dimensional dynamics of laser pulses (enhanced/suppressed selffocusing etc.); (d) interaction of high-current electron beams with the ambient plasma in the context of Fast Ignitor (FI) physics, with the emphasis on the nonlinear dynamics of the Weibel instability and beam filamentation.

Vlasov simulation of the relativistic effect on the breaking of large amplitude plasma waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Hui; Sheng Zhengming; Zhang Jie

2007-01-01

The influence of relativistic and thermal effects on plasma wave breaking has been studied by solving the coupled Vlasov-Poisson equations. When the relativistic effect is not considered, the wave breaking will not occur, provided the initial perturbation is less than certain value as predicted previously, and the largest amplitude of the plasma wave will decrease with the increase of the initial temperature. When the relativistic effect is considered, wave breaking always occurs during the time evolution, irrespective of the initial perturbation amplitude. Yet the smaller the initial perturbation amplitude is, the longer is the time for wave breaking to occur. With large initial perturbations, wave breaking can always occur with the without the relativistic effect. However, the results are significantly different in the two cases. The thermal effects of electrons decrease the threshold value to initial amplitude for wave breaking and large phase velocity makes the nonlinear phenomenon occur more easily. (authors)

Binary collision rates of relativistic thermal plasmas. I Theoretical framework

Science.gov (United States)

Dermer, C. D.

1985-01-01

Binary collision rates for arbitrary scattering cross sections are derived in the case of a beam of particles interacting with a Maxwell-Boltzmann (MB) plasma, or in the case of two MB plasmas interacting at generally different temperatures. The expressions are valid for all beam energies and plasma temperatures, from the nonrelativistic to the extreme relativistic limits. The calculated quantities include the reaction rate, the energy exchange rate, and the average rate of change of the squared transverse momentum component of a monoenergetic particle beam as a result of scatterings with particles of a MB plasma. Results are specialized to elastic scattering processes, two-temperature reaction rates, or the cold plasma limit, reproducing previous work.

Intense laser driven collision-less shock and ion acceleration in magnetized plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Mima, K.; Jia, Q.; Cai, H. B.; Taguchi, T.; Nagatomo, H.; Sanz, J. R.; Honrubia, J.

2016-05-01

The generation of strong magnetic field with a laser driven coil has been demonstrated by many experiments. It is applicable to the magnetized fast ignition (MFI), the collision-less shock in the astrophysics and the ion shock acceleration. In this paper, the longitudinal magnetic field effect on the shock wave driven by the radiation pressure of an intense short pulse laser is investigated by theory and simulations. The transition of a laminar shock (electro static shock) to the turbulent shock (electromagnetic shock) occurs, when the external magnetic field is applied in near relativistic cut-off density plasmas. This transition leads to the enhancement of conversion of the laser energy into high energy ions. The enhancement of the conversion efficiency is important for the ion driven fast ignition and the laser driven neutron source. It is found that the total number of ions reflected by the shock increases by six time when the magnetic field is applied.

Interaction of high power ultrashort laser pulses with plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geissler, M.

2000-12-01

based on an improved model for HHG. Apart from the generation of coherent x-ray radiation, the interaction of few-cycle laser pulses with gases has the potential to generate attosecond pulses (1as=10 -18 s). Such pulses should be present in current HHG experiments but due to the lack of measuring them the unique time resolution cannot be used. A method to measure sub-fs pulses is proposed and theoretically analyzed, which allows resolving pulse durations on the order of a fraction of the optical period. In the second part, interaction at higher intensities is discussed, where relativistic effects have to be considered. First a three dimensional simulation code, developed for this work, is presented, followed by the investigation of electron acceleration mechanisms with short pulses. Finally simulations indicate that relativistic laser-plasma interactions leads to the generation of high power half-cycle Terrahertz pulses (1 THz=10 12 Hz), with peak intensities and conversion efficiencies exceeding current THz sources by orders of magnitude. The mechanism of the THz generation is presented in the last part of the thesis. (author)

Dynamics of the spectrum of a self-modulated powerful laser pulse in an underdense plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreev, N.E.; Kirsanov, V.I.; Sakharov, A.S.

1997-01-01

The evolution of the spectrum of a powerful laser pulse during its self-modulation in an underdense plasma is studied analytically and numerically. It is shown that, in the early stages of the self-modulation instability, the linear theory gives a qualitatively correct description of the dynamics of the pulse spectrum in most cases. Depending on the parameters of the laser pulse and of the plasma, this spectrum contains either Stocks satellites (downshifted from the fundamental frequency to a value equal to the plasma frequency), or both Stocks and anti-Stocks satellites of the fundamental frequency. When the three-dimensional mechanism for the instability is dominant and the pulse power is close to the critical power for relativistic self-focusing, the numerical calculations show that the intensity of the blue satellite exceeds the intensity of the red one. This specific feature of the spectrum, which does not arise when the instability is one-dimensional, cannot be explained in terms of the linear para-axial theory, and can be used to identify the three-dimensional mechanism for the instability in experiments on the self-modulation of powerful laser pulses. It is shown that the transition to the nonlinear stage of the instability is accompanied by the occurrence of cascades (at frequencies separated from the laser carrier frequency by intervals equal to an integer number of plasma frequencies) in the spectrum of the laser pulse

Theory and Modeling of Petawatt Laser Pulse Propagation in Low Density Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shadwick, Bradley A.; Kalmykov, S. Y.

2016-01-01

Report describing accomplishments in all-optical control of self-injection in laser-plasma accelerators and in developing advanced numerical models of laser-plasma interactions. All-optical approaches to controlling electron self-injection and beam formation in laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs) were explored. It was demonstrated that control over the laser pulse evolution is the key ingredient in the generation of low-background, low-phase-space-volume electron beams. To this end, preserving a smooth laser pulse envelope throughout the acceleration process can be achieved through tuning the phase and amplitude of the incident pulse. A negative frequency chirp compensates the frequency red-shift accumulated due to wake excitation, preventing evolution of the pulse into a relativistic optical shock. This reduces the ponderomotive force exerted on quiescent plasma electrons, suppressing expansion of the bubble and continuous injection of background electrons, thereby reducing the charge in the low-energy tail by an order of magnitude. Slowly raising the density in the pulse propagation direction locks electrons in the accelerating phase, boosting their energy, keeping continuous injection at a low level, tripling the brightness of the quasi-monoenergetic component. Additionally, propagating the negatively chirped pulse in a plasma channel suppresses diffraction of the pulse leading edge, further reducing continuous injection. As a side effect, oscillations of the pulse tail may be enhanced, leading to production of low-background, polychromatic electron beams. Such beams, consisting of quasi-monoenergetic components with controllable energy and energy separation, may be useful as drivers of polychromatic x-rays based on Thomson backscattering. These all-optical methods of electron beam quality control are critically important for the development of future compact, high-repetition-rate, GeV-scale LPA using 10 TW-class, ultra-high bandwidth pulses and mm-scale, dense

Theory and Modeling of Petawatt Laser Pulse Propagation in Low Density Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shadwick, Bradley A. [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy; Kalmykov, S. Y. [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

2016-12-08

Report describing accomplishments in all-optical control of self-injection in laser-plasma accelerators and in developing advanced numerical models of laser-plasma interactions. All-optical approaches to controlling electron self-injection and beam formation in laser-plasma accelerators (LPAs) were explored. It was demonstrated that control over the laser pulse evolution is the key ingredient in the generation of low-background, low-phase-space-volume electron beams. To this end, preserving a smooth laser pulse envelope throughout the acceleration process can be achieved through tuning the phase and amplitude of the incident pulse. A negative frequency chirp compensates the frequency red-shift accumulated due to wake excitation, preventing evolution of the pulse into a relativistic optical shock. This reduces the ponderomotive force exerted on quiescent plasma electrons, suppressing expansion of the bubble and continuous injection of background electrons, thereby reducing the charge in the low-energy tail by an order of magnitude. Slowly raising the density in the pulse propagation direction locks electrons in the accelerating phase, boosting their energy, keeping continuous injection at a low level, tripling the brightness of the quasi-monoenergetic component. Additionally, propagating the negatively chirped pulse in a plasma channel suppresses diffraction of the pulse leading edge, further reducing continuous injection. As a side effect, oscillations of the pulse tail may be enhanced, leading to production of low-background, polychromatic electron beams. Such beams, consisting of quasi-monoenergetic components with controllable energy and energy separation, may be useful as drivers of polychromatic x-rays based on Thomson backscattering. These all-optical methods of electron beam quality control are critically important for the development of future compact, high-repetition-rate, GeV-scale LPA using 10 TW-class, ultra-high bandwidth pulses and mm-scale, dense

Relativistic Kinetic Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Vereshchagin, Gregory V.; Aksenov, Alexey G.

2017-02-01

Preface; Acknowledgements; Acronyms and definitions; Introduction; Part I. Theoretical Foundations: 1. Basic concepts; 2. Kinetic equation; 3. Averaging; 4. Conservation laws and equilibrium; 5. Relativistic BBGKY hierarchy; 6. Basic parameters in gases and plasmas; Part II. Numerical Methods: 7. The basics of computational physics; 8. Direct integration of Boltzmann equations; 9. Multidimensional hydrodynamics; Part III. Applications: 10. Wave dispersion in relativistic plasma; 11. Thermalization in relativistic plasma; 12. Kinetics of particles in strong fields; 13. Compton scattering in astrophysics and cosmology; 14. Self-gravitating systems; 15. Neutrinos, gravitational collapse and supernovae; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

Laser-plasma interactions and applications

CERN Document Server

Neely, David; Bingham, Robert; Jaroszynski, Dino

2013-01-01

Laser-Plasma Interactions and Applications covers the fundamental and applied aspects of high power laser-plasma physics. With an internationally renowned team of authors, the book broadens the knowledge of young researchers working in high power laser-plasma science by providing them with a thorough pedagogical grounding in the interaction of laser radiation with matter, laser-plasma accelerators, and inertial confinement fusion. The text is organised such that the theoretical foundations of the subject are discussed first, in Part I. In Part II, topics in the area of high energy density physics are covered. Parts III and IV deal with the applications to inertial confinement fusion and as a driver of particle and radiation sources, respectively. Finally, Part V describes the principle diagnostic, targetry, and computational approaches used in the field. This book is designed to give students a thorough foundation in the fundamental physics of laser-plasma interactions. It will also provide readers with knowl...

Electron Generation and Transport in Intense Relativistic Laser-Plasma Interactions Relevant to Fast Ignition ICF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Tammy Yee Wing [Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)

2010-01-01

The reentrant cone approach to Fast Ignition, an advanced Inertial Confinement Fusion scheme, remains one of the most attractive because of the potential to efficiently collect and guide the laser light into the cone tip and direct energetic electrons into the high density core of the fuel. However, in the presence of a preformed plasma, the laser energy is largely absorbed before it can reach the cone tip. Full scale fast ignition laser systems are envisioned to have prepulses ranging between 100 mJ to 1 J. A few of the imperative issues facing fast ignition, then, are the conversion efficiency with which the laser light is converted to hot electrons, the subsequent transport characteristics of those electrons, and requirements for maximum allowable prepulse this may put on the laser system. This dissertation examines the laser-to-fast electron conversion efficiency scaling with prepulse for cone-guided fast ignition. Work in developing an extreme ultraviolet imager diagnostic for the temperature measurements of electron-heated targets, as well as the validation of the use of a thin wire for simultaneous determination of electron number density and electron temperature will be discussed.

Relativistic effects in hydrogenlike atoms embedded in Debye plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bielinska-Waz, D.; Karwowski, J.; Saha, B.; Mukherjee, P.K.

2004-01-01

Spectra of hydrogenlike atoms embedded in a Debye plasma are investigated. The state energies and the transition rates are studied using a fully relativistic formalism based on the Dirac equation. The effect of the plasma is described by introducing an exponential screening to the nuclear Coulomb potential (the Debye screening). Systematic trends with respect to both the nuclear charge and the screening parameter are observed for all calculated quantities. The pattern of splittings of ns 1/2 , np 1/2 and np 3/2 is modified in a specific way due to the combined relativity and plasma effect. The transition rates decrease with an increase of the Debye parameter as well as with an increase of Z

On the Acceleration and Transport of Electrons Generated by Intense Laser-Plasma Interactions at Sharp Interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

May, Joshua Joseph

The continued development of the chirped pulse amplification technique has allowed for the development of lasers with powers of in excess of 10 15W, for pulse lengths with durations of between .01 and 10 picoseconds, and which can be focused to energy densities greater than 100 giga-atmospheres. When such lasers are focused onto material targets, the possibility of creating particle beams with energy fluxes of comparable parameters arises. Such interactions have a number of theorized applications. For instance, in the Fast Ignition concept for Inertial Confinement Fusion [1], a high-intensity laser efficiently transfers its energy into an electron beam with an appropriate spectra which is then transported into a compressed target and initiate a fusion reaction. Another possible use is the so called Radiation Pressure Acceleration mechanism, in which a high-intensity, circularly polarized laser is used to create a mono-energetic ion beam which could then be used for medical imaging and treatment, among other applications. For this latter application, it is important that the laser energy is transferred to the ions and not to the electrons. However the physics of such high energy-density laser-matter interactions is highly kinetic and non-linear, and presently not fully understood. In this dissertation, we use the Particle-in-Cell code OSIRIS [2, 3] to explore the generation and transport of relativistic particle beams created by high intensity lasers focused onto solid density matter at normal incidence. To explore the generation of relativistic electrons by such interactions, we use primarily one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D), and a few three-dimensional simulations (3D). We initially examine the idealized case of normal incidence of relatively short, plane-wave lasers on flat, sharp interfaces. We find that in 1D the results are highly dependent on the initial temperature of the plasma, with significant absorption into relativistic electrons only

Non-geometrical optics investigation of mode conversion in weakly relativistic inhomogeneous plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imre, K.

1985-06-01

Electron cyclotron resonance heating of plasmas by waves incident to the fundamental and second harmonic layer is investigated. When the wave propagation is nearly perpendicular to the equilibrium field in a weakly inhomogeneous plasma the standard geometrical optics breaks down and the relativistic corrections become significant at the resonance layer. Unlike the previous studies of this problem, the governing equations are derived from the linearized relativistic Vlasov equation coupled with Maxwell's equations, rather than using the uniform field dispersion relation to construct equations by replacing the refractive index by some spatial differential operations. We employ a boundary layer analysis at the resonance region and match the inner and outer solutions in the usual manner. We obtain not only the full wave solution of the problem, but also the set of physical parameters and their ranges in which the analysis is valid. Although we obtain analytic results for the asymptotic solutions, our analysis usually requires a numerical procedure when the relativistic and/or nonzero parallel refractive index are included

Theory of free-electron-laser heating and current drive in magnetized plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, B.I.; Cohen, R.H.; Nevins, W.M.; Rognlien, T.D.

1991-01-01

The introduction of a powerful new microwave source, the free-electron laser, provides new opportunities for novel heating and current-drive schemes to be used in toroidal fusion devices. This high-power, pulsed source has a number of technical advantages for these applications, and its use is predicted to lead to improved current-drive efficiencies and opacities in reactor-grade fusion plasmas in specific cases. The Microwave Tokamak Experiment at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory will provide a test for some of these new heating and current-drive schemes. Although the motivation for much of this research has derived from the application of a free-electron laser to the heating of a tokamak plasma at a frequency near the electron cyclotron frequency, the underlying physics, i.e., the highly nonlinear interaction of an intense, pulsed, coherent electromagnetic wave with an electron in a magnetized plasma including relativistic effects, is of general interest. Other relevant applications include ionospheric modification by radio-frequency waves, high-energy electron accelerators, and the propagation of intense, pulsed electromagnetic waves in space and astrophysical plasmas. This review reports recent theoretical progress in the analysis and computer simulation of the absorption and current drive produced by intense pulses, and of the possible complications that may arise, e.g., parametric instabilities, nonlinear self-focusing, trapped-particle sideband instability, and instabilities of the heated plasma

Nonthermal Particle Acceleration in 3D Relativistic Magnetic Reconnection in Pair Plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Werner, Gregory R.; Uzdensky, Dmitri A., E-mail: Greg.Werner@colorado.edu [Center for Integrated Plasma Studies, Physics Department, University of Colorado, 390 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2017-07-10

As a fundamental process converting magnetic to plasma energy in high-energy astrophysical plasmas, relativistic magnetic reconnection is a leading explanation for the acceleration of particles to the ultrarelativistic energies that are necessary to power nonthermal emission (especially X-rays and gamma-rays) in pulsar magnetospheres and pulsar wind nebulae, coronae and jets of accreting black holes, and gamma-ray bursts. An important objective of plasma astrophysics is therefore the characterization of nonthermal particle acceleration (NTPA) effected by reconnection. Reconnection-powered NTPA has been demonstrated over a wide range of physical conditions using large 2D kinetic simulations. However, its robustness in realistic 3D reconnection—in particular, whether the 3D relativistic drift-kink instability (RDKI) disrupts NTPA—has not been systematically investigated, although pioneering 3D simulations have observed NTPA in isolated cases. Here, we present the first comprehensive study of NTPA in 3D relativistic reconnection in collisionless electron–positron plasmas, characterizing NTPA as the strength of 3D effects is varied systematically via the length in the third dimension and the strength of the guide magnetic field. We find that, while the RDKI prominently perturbs 3D reconnecting current sheets, it does not suppress particle acceleration, even for zero guide field; fully 3D reconnection robustly and efficiently produces nonthermal power-law particle spectra closely resembling those obtained in 2D. This finding provides strong support for reconnection as the key mechanism powering high-energy flares in various astrophysical systems. We also show that strong guide fields significantly inhibit NTPA, slowing reconnection and limiting the energy available for plasma energization, yielding steeper and shorter power-law spectra.

Study of a filter spectrometer in the framework of a new method for measuring the temperature of thermonuclear plasmas by relativistic Thomson scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasalle, J.

1975-06-01

A new method which greatly simplifies the number of measurements necessary for obtaining the temperature in thermonuclear plasmas, using the relativistic effects of Thomson scattering is presented. A few orders of magnitude are computed for probing the feasibility of such temperature measurements. The data used correspond to magnitudes relating to T.F.R. The characteristics of a filter equipped spectrometer are then defined in view of a double function: separation of the lambda>lambda laser and lambda [fr

Magnetohydrodynamic waves with relativistic electrons and positrons in degenerate spin-1/2 astrophysical plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Maroof, R.; Ali, S.; Mushtaq, A.; Qamar, A.

2015-11-01

Linear properties of high and low frequency waves are studied in an electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) dense plasma with spin and relativity effects. In a low frequency regime, the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, namely, the magnetoacoustic and Alfven waves are presented in a magnetized plasma, in which the inertial ions are taken as spinless and non-degenerate, whereas the electrons and positrons are treated quantum mechanically due to their smaller mass. Quantum corrections associated with the spin magnetization and density correlations for electrons and positrons are re-considered and a generalized dispersion relation for the low frequency MHD waves is derived to account for relativistic degeneracy effects. On the basis of angles of propagation, the dispersion relations of different modes are discussed analytically in a degenerate relativistic plasma. Numerical results reveal that electron and positron relativistic degeneracy effects significantly modify the dispersive properties of MHD waves. Our present analysis should be useful for understanding the collective interactions in dense astrophysical compact objects, like, the white dwarfs and in atmosphere of neutron stars.

Magnetohydrodynamic waves with relativistic electrons and positrons in degenerate spin-1/2 astrophysical plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maroof, R. [Department of Physics, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200 (Pakistan); Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25000 (Pakistan); National Center for Physics (NCP) at QAU Campus, Shahdra Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Ali, S. [National Center for Physics (NCP) at QAU Campus, Shahdra Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Mushtaq, A. [Department of Physics, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200 (Pakistan); National Center for Physics (NCP) at QAU Campus, Shahdra Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Qamar, A. [Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25000 (Pakistan)

2015-11-15

Linear properties of high and low frequency waves are studied in an electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) dense plasma with spin and relativity effects. In a low frequency regime, the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, namely, the magnetoacoustic and Alfven waves are presented in a magnetized plasma, in which the inertial ions are taken as spinless and non-degenerate, whereas the electrons and positrons are treated quantum mechanically due to their smaller mass. Quantum corrections associated with the spin magnetization and density correlations for electrons and positrons are re-considered and a generalized dispersion relation for the low frequency MHD waves is derived to account for relativistic degeneracy effects. On the basis of angles of propagation, the dispersion relations of different modes are discussed analytically in a degenerate relativistic plasma. Numerical results reveal that electron and positron relativistic degeneracy effects significantly modify the dispersive properties of MHD waves. Our present analysis should be useful for understanding the collective interactions in dense astrophysical compact objects, like, the white dwarfs and in atmosphere of neutron stars.

The application of laser plasma in ophthalmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Yujiang; Luo Le; Sun Yabing

2000-01-01

The production and development of laser plasma are introduced, and the contribution of laser biomedicine and laser plasma technology to ophthalmology is analyzed. The latest three progresses (laser photocoagulation, photo-refractive keratotomy and laser iridectomy) of laser plasma applications in ophthalmology are presented

Studies of Positron Generation from Ultraintense Laser-Matter Interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Gerald Jackson

Laser-produced pair jets possess unique characteristics that offer great potential for their use in laboratory-astrophysics experiments to study energetic phenomenon such as relativistic shock accelerations. High-flux, high-energy positron sources may also be used to study relativistic pair plasmas and useful as novel diagnostic tools for high energy density conditions. Copious amounts of positrons are produced with MeV energies from directly irradiating targets with ultraintense lasers where relativistic electrons, accelerated by the laser field, drive positron-electron pair production. Alternatively, laser wakefield accelerated electrons can produce pairs by the same mechanisms inside a secondary converter target. This dissertation describes a series of novel experiments that investigate the characteristics and scaling of pair production from ultraintense lasers, which are designed to establish a robust platform for laboratory-based relativistic pair plasmas. Results include a simple power-law scaling to estimate the effective positron yield for elemental targets for any Maxwellian electron source, typical of direct laser-target interactions. To facilitate these measurements, a solenoid electromagnetic coil was constructed to focus emitted particles, increasing the effective collection angle of the detector and enabling the investigation of pair production from thin targets and low-Z materials. Laser wakefield electron sources were also explored as a compact, high repetition rate platform for the production of high energy pairs with potential applications to the creation of charge-neutral relativistic pair plasmas. Plasma accelerators can produce low-divergence electron beams with energies approaching a GeV at Hz frequencies. It was found that, even for high-energy positrons, energy loss and scattering mechanisms in the target create a fundamental limit to the divergence and energy spectrum of the emitted positrons. The potential future application of laser

Nonlinear electrostatic excitations in magnetized dense plasmas with nonrelativistic and ultra-relativistic degenerate electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmood, S.; Sadiq, Safeer; Haque, Q.

2013-01-01

Linear and nonlinear electrostatic waves in magnetized dense electron-ion plasmas are studied with nonrelativistic and ultra-relativistic degenerate and singly, doubly charged helium (He + , He ++ ) and hydrogen (H + ) ions, respectively. The dispersion relation of electrostatic waves in magnetized dense plasmas is obtained under both the energy limits of degenerate electrons. Using reductive perturbation method, the Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation for nonlinear propagation of electrostatic solitons in magnetized dense plasmas is derived for both nonrelativistic and ultra-relativistic degenerate electrons. It is found that variations in plasma density, magnetic field intensity, different mass, and charge number of ions play significant role in the formation of electrostatic solitons in magnetized dense plasmas. The numerical plots are also presented for illustration using the parameters of dense astrophysical plasma situations such as white dwarfs and neutron stars exist in the literature. The present investigation is important for understanding the electrostatic waves propagation in the outer periphery of compact stars which mostly consists of hydrogen and helium ions with degenerate electrons in dense magnetized plasmas

Linear relativistic gyrokinetic equation in general magnetically confined plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, S.T.; Van Dam, J.W.; Chen, L.

1983-08-01

The gyrokinetic formalism for linear electromagnetic waves of arbitrary frequency in general magnetic-field configurations is extended to include full relativistic effects. The derivation employs the small adiabaticity parameter rho/L 0 where rho is the Larmor radius and L 0 the equilibrium scale length. The effects of the plasma and magnetic field inhomogeneities and finite Larmor-radii effects are also contained

Study of electrons distribution produced by laser-plasma interaction on x-ray generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikzad, L.; Sadighi-Bonabi, R.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. In the present work, X-ray beams are generated from interaction of relativistic electron beams produced by interaction of 500 mJ, 30 femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulses with thin solid targets such as lead, molybdenum and tungsten. After interaction of an intense pulsed laser with He gas-jet, a micron-scale laser produced plasma, creates and accelerates electron bunches, which propagate in the ion channel produced in the wake of the laser pulse. When an electron bunch is injected into the bubble in phase with its field, it will gain relativistic energies within very short distance. These accelerated electrons with Megaelectron-Volt energy and different distributions, can interact with targets to generate X-ray radiation with Kiloelectron-Volt energy, providing to be close enough to the gas-jet, where the relativistic accelerated electrons exist. Here, to determine the results, Monte Carlo simulation (MCNP-4C code) is employed to present Bremsstrahlung and characteristic X-ray production by quasi-Maxwellian and quasi-monoenergetic electron beams for three samples with different thicknesses. The outcome shows that for one specific electron spectrum and one definite target, the energy which the maximum characteristic x-ray flux takes place, varies with thickness. Also, for each material the energy which this maximum happens is constant for all thicknesses, for both produced electron spectra. For each sample, x-ray flux is calculated for different thicknesses and the thickness which the maximum characteristic x-ray flux occurs is obtained. Besides, it is concluded that by increasing the atomic number of the target, maximum X-ray flux moves towards higher energy. Also, comparison of the results for three targets and two electron distributions shows that by using quasi-monoenergetic electron spectra, more intense and narrower characteristic X-ray can be produced compared to the quasi-Maxwellian electron distribution, almost for all

Interactions of two co-propagating laser beams in underdense plasmas using a generalized Peaceman-Rachford ADI form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahdy, A.I.

2005-12-01

A generalized Peaceman-Rachford (P-R) ADI form based on the regularized finite difference scheme is employed in order to study the interactions of two co-propagating laser beams in underdense plasmas. A numerical algorithm using the P-R ADI form is constructed for solution of coupled 2D time-dependent non-linear Schroedinger equations for quasineutral plasmas in paraxial approximation. The ability of the form to solve the equations is discussed, and its performance in simulating phenomena associated with the interactions in the presence of pondermotive nonlinearity and relativistic nonlinearity is examined. It is shown that the generalized P-R ADI form can accurately solve the coupled NLS equations. With simulation results, the form is shown to be suitable to simulate the interactions of two co-propagating laser beams with underdense plasma, and it can successively simulate the associated phenomena at varying conditions. (author)

Coherent, Short-Pulse X-ray Generation via Relativistic Flying Mirrors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaki Kando

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Coherent, Short X-ray pulses are demanded in material science and biology for the study of micro-structures. Currently, large-sized free-electron lasers are used; however, the available beam lines are limited because of the large construction cost. Here we review a novel method to downsize the system as well as providing fully (spatially and temporally coherent pulses. The method is based on the reflection of coherent laser light by a relativistically moving mirror (flying mirror. Due to the double Doppler effect, the reflected pulses are upshifted in frequency and compressed in time. Such mirrors are formed when an intense short laser pulse excites a strongly nonlinear plasma wave in tenuous plasma. Theory, proof-of-principle, experiments, and possible applications are addressed.

Debye sheath mechanism at laser plasma interaction and generalization to nuclear forces and quark-gluon plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, Frederick; Ghahramani, Nader; Hora, Heinrich

2005-10-01

The studies of laser ablation have lead to a new theory of nuclei, endothermic nuclei generation, and quark-gluon plasmas. The surface of ablated plasma expanding into vacuum after high power laser irradiation of targets contains an electric double layer having the thickness of the Debye length. This led to the discovery of surface tension in plasmas, and led to the internal dynamic electric fields in all inhomogeneous plasmas. The surface tension causes stabilization by short length surface wave smoothing the expanding plasma plume and to stabilization against the Rayleigh Taylor instability. Generalizing this to the degenerate electrons in a metal with the Fermi energy instead of the temperature resulted in the first quantum theory of surface tension of metals in agreement with measurements. Taking the Fermi energy in the Debye length for nucleons results in a theory of nuclei with stable confinement of protons and neutrons just at the well-known nuclear density, and the Debye lengths equal to the Hofstadter decay of the nuclear surface. Increasing the nuclear density by a factor of 10 leads to a change of the Fermi energy into its relativistic branch where no surface energy is possible and the particle mass is not defined, permitting the quark gluon plasma. Expansion of this higher density at the big bang or in super-nova results in nucleation and element generation. The Boltzmann equilibrium permits the synthesis of nuclei even in the endothermic range, however with the limit to about uranium. A relation for the magic numbers leads to a quark structure of nuclear shells that can be understood as a duality property of nuclei with respect to nucleons and quarks

Propagation of a TE surface mode in a relativistic electron beam–quantum plasma system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel Aziz, M.

2012-01-01

The dispersion properties of a transverse electric (TE) surface waves propagating along the interface between a magneto-quantum plasma–relativistic beam system and vacuum are studied by using the quantum hydrodynamic model. The general dispersion relations are derived and analyzed in some special cases of interest. Moreover, the effects of density gradients for the beam and plasma on the dispersion properties of surface waves are investigated. The kind of dispersion relations depends strongly on the ambient magnetic field B o via the gyro-frequency ω c , the quantum parameters, and the width of the plasma layer as well as the relativistic factor for the electron beam. It is found that the quantum effects play a crucial role to facilitate the propagation of TE surface waves. -- Highlights: ► Propagation of TE surface waves on bounded magneto-quantum plasma by relativistic beam is studied. ► The quantum plasma consists of transitional layer adjacent to uniform layer. ► Influence of quantum effects on the propagation of TE surface waves are taken into account. ► Effects of homogeneity and inhomogeneity for beam on TE surface waves are considered. ► It is found that quantum effects facilitate the propagation of TE surface modes.

Effect of an ultrafast laser induced plasma on a relativistic electron beam to determine temporal overlap in pump–probe experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scoby, Cheyne M., E-mail: scoby@physics.ucla.edu [UCLA Department of Physics, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Li, R.K.; Musumeci, P. [UCLA Department of Physics, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

2013-04-15

In this paper we report on a simple and robust method to measure the absolute temporal overlap of the laser and the electron beam at the sample based on the effect of a laser induced plasma on the electron beam transverse distribution, successfully extending a similar method from keV to MeV electron beams. By pumping a standard copper TEM grid to form the plasma, we gain timing information independent of the sample under study. In experiments discussed here the optical delay to achieve temporal overlap between the pump electron beam and probe laser can be determined with ∼1ps precision.

Effect of an ultrafast laser induced plasma on a relativistic electron beam to determine temporal overlap in pump–probe experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scoby, Cheyne M.; Li, R.K.; Musumeci, P.

2013-01-01

In this paper we report on a simple and robust method to measure the absolute temporal overlap of the laser and the electron beam at the sample based on the effect of a laser induced plasma on the electron beam transverse distribution, successfully extending a similar method from keV to MeV electron beams. By pumping a standard copper TEM grid to form the plasma, we gain timing information independent of the sample under study. In experiments discussed here the optical delay to achieve temporal overlap between the pump electron beam and probe laser can be determined with ∼1ps precision

Scaling of laser-plasma interactions with laser wavelength and plasma size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Max, C.E.; Campbell, E.M.; Mead, W.C.; Kruer, W.L.; Phillion, D.W.; Turner, R.E.; Lasinski, B.F.; Estabrook, K.G.

1983-01-01

Plasma size is an important parameter in wavelength-scaling experiments because it determines both the threshold and potential gain for a variety of laser-plasma instabilities. Most experiments to date have of necessity produced relatively small plasmas, due to laser energy and pulse-length limitations. We have discussed in detail three recent Livermore experiments which had large enough plasmas that some instability thresholds were exceeded or approached. Our evidence for Raman scatter, filamentation, and the two-plasmon decay instability needs to be confirmed in experiments which measure several instability signatures simultaneously, and which produce more quantitative information about the local density and temperature profiles than we have today

Scaling of laser-plasma interactions with laser wavelength and plasma size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Max, C.E.; Campbell, E.M.; Mead, W.C.; Kruer, W.L.; Phillion, D.W.; Turner, R.E.; Lasinski, B.F.; Estabrook, K.G.

1983-01-25

Plasma size is an important parameter in wavelength-scaling experiments because it determines both the threshold and potential gain for a variety of laser-plasma instabilities. Most experiments to date have of necessity produced relatively small plasmas, due to laser energy and pulse-length limitations. We have discussed in detail three recent Livermore experiments which had large enough plasmas that some instability thresholds were exceeded or approached. Our evidence for Raman scatter, filamentation, and the two-plasmon decay instability needs to be confirmed in experiments which measure several instability signatures simultaneously, and which produce more quantitative information about the local density and temperature profiles than we have today.

Coherent emission from relativistic beam-plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latham, P.E.

1986-01-01

A theoretical model for the production of high-power, high-frequency electromagnetic radiation from unmagnetized, relativistic beam-plasma interactions is studied. Emphasis is placed on the injected-beam system, for which the dominant portion of the radiation is emitted near the point where the beam enters the plasma. In such systems, frequencies much larger than the plasma frequency and power levels many orders of magnitude above that predicted by single-particle radiation have been observed experimentally. A two-step process is proposed to explain these observations: electrostatic bunching of the beam followed by coherent radiation by the bunches. The first step, beam bunching, produces large-amplitude electrostatic waves. A Green's function analysis is employed to understand the convective growth of those waves near the plasma boundary; their saturation amplitude is found by applying conservation of energy to the beam-plasma system. An azimuthally symmetric model is used to compute the saturated spectrum analytically, and a relatively simple expression is found. The second step, the interaction of the electron beam with the electrostatic spectrum, leads to the production of high-power, high-frequency electromagnetic radiation. From a detailed analysis of the phase-space evolution of the trapped beam, an analytic expression for the electromagnetic spectrum is found as a function of angle and frequency

Laser acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Tajima, T.; Nakajima, K.; Mourou, G.

2017-02-01

The fundamental idea of Laser Wakefield Acceleration (LWFA) is reviewed. An ultrafast intense laser pulse drives coherent wakefield with a relativistic amplitude robustly supported by the plasma. While the large amplitude of wakefields involves collective resonant oscillations of the eigenmode of the entire plasma electrons, the wake phase velocity ˜ c and ultrafastness of the laser pulse introduce the wake stability and rigidity. A large number of worldwide experiments show a rapid progress of this concept realization toward both the high-energy accelerator prospect and broad applications. The strong interest in this has been spurring and stimulating novel laser technologies, including the Chirped Pulse Amplification, the Thin Film Compression, the Coherent Amplification Network, and the Relativistic Mirror Compression. These in turn have created a conglomerate of novel science and technology with LWFA to form a new genre of high field science with many parameters of merit in this field increasing exponentially lately. This science has triggered a number of worldwide research centers and initiatives. Associated physics of ion acceleration, X-ray generation, and astrophysical processes of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are reviewed. Applications such as X-ray free electron laser, cancer therapy, and radioisotope production etc. are considered. A new avenue of LWFA using nanomaterials is also emerging.

Laser acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajima, T.; Nakajima, K.; Mourou, G.

2017-01-01

The fundamental idea of LaserWakefield Acceleration (LWFA) is reviewed. An ultrafast intense laser pulse drives coherent wakefield with a relativistic amplitude robustly supported by the plasma. While the large amplitude of wake fields involves collective resonant oscillations of the eigenmode of the entire plasma electrons, the wake phase velocity ∼ c and ultra fastness of the laser pulse introduce the wake stability and rigidity. A large number of worldwide experiments show a rapid progress of this concept realization toward both the high-energy accelerator prospect and broad applications. The strong interest in this has been spurring and stimulating novel laser technologies, including the Chirped Pulse Amplification, the Thin Film Compression, the Coherent Amplification Network, and the Relativistic Mirror Compression. These in turn have created a conglomerate of novel science and technology with LWFA to form a new genre of high field science with many parameters of merit in this field increasing exponentially lately. This science has triggered a number of worldwide research centers and initiatives. Associated physics of ion acceleration, X-ray generation, and astrophysical processes of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays are reviewed. Applications such as X-ray free electron laser, cancer therapy, and radioisotope production etc. are considered. A new avenue of LWFA using nano materials is also emerging.

High intensity surface plasma waves, theory and PIC simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Raynaud, M.; Héron, A.; Adam, J.-C.

2018-01-01

With the development of intense (>1019 W cm-2) short pulses (≤25 fs) laser with very high contrast, surface plasma wave (SPW) can be explored in the relativistic regime. As the SPW propagates with a phase velocity close to the speed of light it may results in a strong acceleration of electron bunches along the surface permitting them to reach relativistic energies. This may be important e.g. for applications in the field of plasma-based accelerators. We investigate in this work the excitation of SPWs on grating preformed over-dense plasmas for laser intensities ranging from 1019 up to 1021 W cm-2. We discuss the nature of the interaction with respect to the solid case in which surface plasmon can be resonantly excited with weak laser intensity. In particular, we show the importance of the pulse duration and focalization of the laser beam on the amplitude of the SPW.

General Relativistic Simulations of Magnetized Plasmas Around Merging Supermassive Black Holes

Science.gov (United States)

Giacomazzo, Bruno; Baker, John G.; Miller, M. Coleman; Reynolds, Christopher S.; van Meter, James R.

2012-01-01

Coalescing supermassive black hole binaries are produced by the mergers of galaxies and are the most powerful sources of gravitational waves accessible to space-based gravitational observatories. Some such mergers may occur in the presence of matter and magnetic fields and hence generate an electromagnetic counterpart. In this paper we present the first general relativistic simulations of magnetized plasma around merging supermassive black holes using the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic code Whisky. By considering different magnetic field strengths, going from non-magnetically dominated to magnetically dominated regimes, we explore how magnetic fields affect the dynamics of the plasma and the possible emission of electromagnetic signals. In particular we observe, total amplification of the magnetic field of approx 2 orders of magnitude which is driven by the accretion onto the binary and that leads to stronger electromagnetic signals than in the force-free regime where such amplifications are not possible.

Nonlineart theory of relativistic beam-plasma instabilities in the regime of the collective Cherenkov effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bobylev, Yu. V. [L.N. Tolstoy Tula State Pedagogical University (Russian Federation); Kuzelev, M. V. [Moscow State University (Russian Federation); Rukhadze, A. A. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Prokhorov Institute of General Physics (Russian Federation)

2008-02-15

A general mathematical model is proposed that is based on the Vlasov kinetic equation with a self-consistent field and describes the nonlinear dynamics of the electromagnetic instabilities of a relativistic electron beam in a spatially bounded plasma. Two limiting cases are analyzed, namely, high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) instabilities of a relativistic electron beam, of which the LF instability is a qualitatively new phenomenon in comparison with the known Cherenkov resonance effects. For instabilities in the regime of the collective Cherenkov effect, the equations containing cubic nonlinearities and describing the nonlinear saturation of the instabilities of a relativistic beam in a plasma are derived by using the methods of expansion in small perturbations of the trajectories and momenta of the beam electrons. Analytic expressions for the amplitudes of the interacting beam and plasma waves are obtained. The analytical results are shown to agree well with the exact solutions obtained numerically from the basic general mathematical model of the instabilities in question. The general mathematical model is also used to discuss the effects associated with variation in the constant component of the electron current in a beam-plasma system.

Laser diagnostics for picosecond e-beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pogorelsky, I.; Ben-Zvi, I.

1992-01-01

We propose a novel approach to picosecond e-bunch/laser pulse synchronization and spatial alignment based upon refraction and reflection of a laser beam on a plasma column created by relativistic electrons traveling through a gas or solid optical material. The technique may be used in laser accelerators and for general subpicosecond e-beam diagnostics

Influence of the laser pulse duration on laser-produced plasma properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drogoff, B Le; Margot, J; Vidal, F; Laville, S; Chaker, M; Sabsabi, M; Johnston, T W; Barthelemy, O

2004-01-01

In the framework of laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) applications, time-resolved characteristics of laser-produced aluminium plasmas in air at atmospheric pressure are investigated for laser pulse durations ranging from 100 fs to 270 ps. Measurements show that for delays after the laser pulse longer than ∼100 ns, the plasma temperature increases slightly with the laser pulse duration, while the electron density is independent of it. In addition, as the pulse duration increases, the plasma radiation emission lasts longer and the spectral lines arise later from the continuum emission. The time dependence of the continuum emission appears to be similar whatever the duration of the laser pulse is, while the temporal evolution of the line emission seems to be affected mainly by the plasma temperature. Finally, as far as spectrochemical applications (such as LIPS) of laser-produced plasmas are concerned, this study highlights the importance of the choice of appropriate temporal gating parameters for each laser pulse duration

Spectrochemical analysis using laser plasma excitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radziemski, L.J.

1989-01-01

This paper reports on analyses of gases, liquids, particles, and surfaces in which laser plasma is used to vaporize and excite a material. The authors present a discussion of the interaction between laser radiation and a solid and some recent analytical results using laser plasma excitation on metals. The use of laser plasmas as an ablation source is also discussed

High energy particle acceleration by relativistic plasma waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amiranoff, F.; Jacquet, F.; Mora, P.; Matthieussent, G.

1991-01-01

Accelerating schemes using plasmas, lasers or electron beams are proposed and compared to electron bunches in dielectric media or laser propagation through a slow wave structure made of liquid droplets. (L.C.J.A.). 33 refs, 20 figs

Study of a recombination X-ray laser scheme in a H-like nitrogen plasma created by optical field induced ionization; Etude de la faisabilite d'un laser X en recombinaison dans un plasma d'azote hydrogenoide cree par effet tunnel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hulin, S

2001-07-01

Thanks to their high brightness and short wavelength, X ray lasers are interesting diagnostics in many experiments because they can efficiently probe dense plasmas. Furthermore their mono-chromaticity and collimation make them interesting tools in plasma physics but also in many biology or chemistry experiments. The effective use of this diagnostic is mainly depending on its dimensions and cost. For this reason, research on X ray laser is now focused on the reduction of cost and the realization of table-top facilities. One of these research axis, based on the optical field induced ionization (OFI) of the plasma, is presented in this work. An ultra-short (60 fs) high-brightness (10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}) Ti:Sapphire (790 nm) laser is focused into a nitrogen pulsed gas jet. A dense (10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}) plasma of fully stripped nitrogen is created by the way. During the fast recombination of the plasma some population inversions between levels of principal quantum number 2 and 1 (2.4 nm) and 3 and 2 (13.4 nm) can occur depending on the plasma parameters. The creation of the plasma by OFI, laser-plasma interaction dominated by relativistic self-focusing, and recombination dynamics are studied by numerical simulations on one hand and experiments on the other hand. Temperature measurements and numerical simulations show a strong heating, destructive for the laser scheme, which can be explained by Raman instability growing. Nevertheless plasma X ray emission in the 2-20 nm range show a strong increase with the electronic density of the 13.4 nm line intensity. This behavior is consistent with a laser effect but is not detected on the 2.4 nm transition line. (author)

Effect of an ultrafast laser induced plasma on a relativistic electron beam to determine temporal overlap in pump-probe experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Scoby, Cheyne M; Li, R K; Musumeci, P

2013-04-01

In this paper we report on a simple and robust method to measure the absolute temporal overlap of the laser and the electron beam at the sample based on the effect of a laser induced plasma on the electron beam transverse distribution, successfully extending a similar method from keV to MeV electron beams. By pumping a standard copper TEM grid to form the plasma, we gain timing information independent of the sample under study. In experiments discussed here the optical delay to achieve temporal overlap between the pump electron beam and probe laser can be determined with ~1 ps precision. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Existence condition of the relativistic ion-acoustic soliton in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chian, A.C.-L.

1981-07-01

Stationary solutions which descrite longitudinal waves in a hot ion-electron plasma, taking in account the relativistic effect of the particle dynamics, are investigated. The solution of the problem can be reduced to two equations related with energy-momentum conservation of the system. Particular attention to the existence condition of the solitary wave solution is given. It is shown that the Langmuir mode (Te=Ti) only admits infinite train-like wave solutions, the existence of solitary-like wave solutions being not possible. On the other hand, in the case of hot electrons and cold ions, an appropriate choice of the boundary conditions produces localized wave solutions, which describe relativistic ion-acoustic solitons. (L.C.) [pt

Computer simulation of superthermal transport for laser fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kershaw, D.S.

1979-01-01

The relativistic multigroup diffusion equations describing superthermal electron transport in laser fusion plasmas were derived in an earlier UCRL. A successful numerical scheme based on these equations which is now being used to model laser fusion experiments is described

Relativistic theory of vector mesons in laser fields

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Becker, W; Mitter, H [Tuebingen Univ. (F.R. Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik

1975-01-01

The relativistic wave equation for a particle with spin 1 and an anomalous magnetic moment ..mu.. in an external wave field is reduced to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations for three amplitudes, which multiply the exponential known from the spin 0 case. These amplitudes are constant for ..mu..=1 (and not ..mu..=0). Exact solutions are given for a linear polarized laser wave of finite pulse shape and for an infinitely extended plane wave with circular polarization. In contrast to the situation in a constant magnetic field there are no internal inconsistencies.

Generation of atto-second pulses on relativistic mirror plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vincenti, H.

2012-12-01

When an ultra intense femtosecond laser (I > 10 16 W.cm -2 ) with high contrast is focused on a solid target, the laser field at focus is high enough to completely ionize the target surface during the rising edge of the laser pulse and form a plasma. This plasma is so dense (the electron density is of the order of hundred times the critical density) that it completely reflects the incident laser beam in the specular direction: this is the so-called 'plasma mirror'. When laser intensity becomes very high, the non-linear response of the plasma mirror to the laser field periodically deforms the incident electric field leading to high harmonic generation in the reflected beam. In the temporal domain this harmonic spectrum is associated to a train of atto-second pulses. The goals of my work were to get a better comprehension of the properties of harmonic beams produced on plasma mirrors and design new methods to control theses properties, notably in order to produce isolated atto-second pulses instead of trains. Initially, we imagined and modeled the first realistic technique to generate isolated atto-second on plasma mirrors. This brand new approach is based on a totally new physical effect: 'the atto-second lighthouse effect'. Its principle consists in sending the atto-second pulses of the train in different directions and selects one of these pulses by putting a slit in the far field. Despite its simplicity, this technique is very general and applies to any high harmonic generation mechanism. Moreover, the atto-second lighthouse effect has many other applications (e.g in metrology). In particular, it paves the way to atto-second pump-probe experiments. Then, we studied the spatial properties of these harmonics, whose control and characterization are crucial if one wants to use this source in future application experiments. For instance, we need to control very precisely the harmonic beam divergence in order to achieve the atto-second lighthouse effect and get

Progress of Laser-Driven Plasma Accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Kazuhisa

2007-01-01

There is a great interest worldwide in plasma accelerators driven by ultra-intense lasers which make it possible to generate ultra-high gradient acceleration and high quality particle beams in a much more compact size compared with conventional accelerators. A frontier research on laser and plasma accelerators is focused on high energy electron acceleration and ultra-short X-ray and Tera Hertz radiations as their applications. These achievements will provide not only a wide range of sciences with benefits of a table-top accelerator but also a basic science with a tool of ultrahigh energy accelerators probing an unknown extremely microscopic world.Harnessing the recent advance of ultra-intense ultra-short pulse lasers, the worldwide research has made a tremendous breakthrough in demonstrating high-energy high-quality particle beams in a compact scale, so called ''dream beams on a table top'', which represents monoenergetic electron beams from laser wakefield accelerators and GeV acceleration by capillary plasma-channel laser wakefield accelerators. This lecture reviews recent progress of results on laser-driven plasma based accelerator experiments to quest for particle acceleration physics in intense laser-plasma interactions and to present new outlook for the GeV-range high-energy laser plasma accelerators

Axial motion of collector plasma in a relativistic backward wave oscillator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, Renzhen; Chen, Changhua; Deng, Yuqun; Cao, Yibing; Sun, Jun; Li, Jiawei [Science and Technology on High Power Microwave Laboratory, Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, Xi' an 710024 (China)

2016-06-15

In this paper, it is proposed that plasma formed at the collector may drift back to the cathode and cause pulse shortening of the relativistic backward wave oscillator. Theoretical analysis shows that the axial drift velocity of plasma ions can be up to 5 mm/ns due to the presence of space charge potential provided by an intense relativistic electron beam. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that the plasma electrons are initially trapped around the collector surface. With the accumulation of the plasma ions, a large electrostatic field forms and drives the plasma electrons to overcome the space charge potential and enter the beam-wave interaction region along the magnetic field lines. As a result, the beam current modulation is disturbed and the output microwave power falls rapidly. The plasma ions move in the beam-wave interaction region with an average axial velocity of 5–8 mm/ns. After the plasma ions reach the diode region, the emitted current at the cathode rises due to the charge neutralizations by the ions. The impedance collapse leads to further decrease of the microwave power. In experiments, when the diode voltage and beam current were 850 kV and 9.2 kA, and the collector radius was 2.15 cm, the output microwave power was 2.4 GW with a pulse width of less than 20 ns. The ion drift velocity was estimated to be about 5 mm/ns. After an improved collector with 3.35 cm radius was adopted, the pulse width was prolonged to more than 30 ns.

Thermonuclear fusion plasma produced by lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, C.; Yokoyama, M.; Nakai, S.; Sasaki, T.; Yoshida, K.; Matoba, M.; Yamabe, C.; Tschudi, T.; Yamanaka, T.; Mizui, J.; Yamaguchi, N.; Nishikawa, K.

1975-01-01

Recently, much attention has been focused on laser fusion schemes using high-density plasmas produced by implosion. Scientific-feasibility laser-fusion experiments are now in time. But the physics of interaction between laser and plasma, the high-compression technique and the development of high-power lasers are still important problems to be solved if laser fusion is to make some progress. In the field of laser-plasma coupling, experiments were carried out in which hydrogen and deuterium sticks were bombarded by laser beams; in these experiments, a glass-laser system, LETKKO-I, with an energy of 50 J in a nanosecond pulse, and a double-discharge TEA CO 2 laser system with an energy of 100 J in a 100-ns pulse were used. A decrease in reflectivity occurred at a laser intensity one order of magnitude higher than the parametric-instability threshold. Self-phase modulation of scattered light due to modulational instability was found. A Brillouin-backscattering isotope effect due to the hydrogen and deuterium plasma has also been observed in the red-side part of the SHG-light. Preliminary compression experiments have been carried out using a glass-laser system LETKKO-II, with an energy of 250-1000 J in a ns-pulse. A hologram has been used to study shock waves in the plasma due to the SHG-light converted from the main laser beam. Development of high-power lasers has been promoted, such as disc-glass lasers, E-beam CO 2 lasers and excimer lasers. (author)

Study on Laser Induced Plasma Produced in Liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuda, N.; Yamada, J.

2003-01-01

When an intense laser light is focused in liquid, a hot plasma is produced at the focal spot. The breakdown threshold and the transmittance of sodium choroids solution are observed using excimer laser or YAG laser. The breakdown threshold decreases with increasing NaCl concentration. Threshold intensity of plasma produced by YAG laser is lower than excimer laser. The behavior of plasma development is observed by a streak camera. The plasma produced by a YAG laser develops only backward. However, the plasma produced by excimer laser develops not only backward but also forward same as the plasma development in high-pressure gases

Beat-wave generation of plasmons in semiconductor plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezhiani, V.I.; Mahajan, S.M.

1995-08-01

It is shown that in semiconductor plasmas, it is possible to generate large amplitude plasma waves by the beating of two laser beams with frequency difference close to the plasma frequency. For narrow gap seimconductors (for example n-type InSb), the system can simulate the physics underlying beat wave generation in relativistic gaseous plasmas

Modelling properties of hard x-rays generated by the interaction between relativistic electrons and very intense laser beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popa, Alexandru

2009-01-01

In a previous paper we presented a calculation model for high harmonic generation by relativistic Thomson scattering of the electromagnetic radiation by free electrons. In this paper we present a similar model for the calculation of the energies of hard x-rays (20- 200 keV) resulted from the interaction between relativistic electrons (20-100 MeV) and very intense laser beams. Starting from the relativistic equations of motion of an electron in the electromagnetic field we show that the Lienard-Wiechert equation leads to electromagnetic waves whose frequencies are in the domain of hard x-rays. When the relativistic parameter of the laser beam is greater than unity, the model predicts the existence of harmonics of the above frequencies. Our theoretical values are in good agreement with experimental values of the x-ray energies from the literature and predict accurately their angular distribution.

On the influence of electromagnetic wave and relativistic electron beam on a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Ashry, M.Y.; Berezhiani, V.I.; Javakhishvili, J.L.

1993-08-01

The dynamics of nonlinear wave in plasma under the influence of high-frequency electromagnetic pump and relativistic electron beam is considered. It is shown that the electrons of the beam play the role of the heavy plasma component, the matter which creates a possibility of formation of wave of a soliton type in a pure electron plasma. The wave structure is investigated and the characteristic parameters of the soliton are obtained. (author). 8 refs

Contribution of power lasers to fundamental physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mainfray, G.

1997-01-01

The use of power lasers for studying the response of atoms that are perturbed by an intense laser electromagnetic field was considered at the CEA as soon as 1966, leading to a new research domain, atom multi-photonic ionization, and the analysis of the photon-matter interaction. The development of a new generation of compact laser delivering several terawatt in a few tenth of picoseconds resulting in illuminations superior to 10 18 W/cm 2 , enabled the shift to researches concerning photon-plasma interactions and the relativistic regime of the laser-plasma interaction

Wakefield excitation in plasma resonator by a sequence of relativistic electron bunches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiselev, V.A.; Linnik, A.F.; Mirny, V.I.; Onishchenko, I.N.; Uskov, V.V.

2008-01-01

Wakefield excitation in a plasma resonator by a sequence of relativistic electron bunches with the purpose to increase excited field amplitude in comparison to waveguide case is experimentally investigated. A sequence of short electron bunches is produced by the linear resonant accelerator. Plasma resonator is formed at the beam-plasma discharge in rectangular metal waveguide filled with gas and closed by metal foil at entrance and movable short-circuited plunger at exit. Measurements of wakefield amplitude are performed showing considerably higher wakefield amplitude for resonator case

Laser plasma interactions in hohlraums

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kruer, W.L.

1994-10-05

Lasers plasma instabilities are an important constraint in x-ray driven inertial confinement fusion. In hohlraums irradiated with 1.06 {mu}m light on the Shiva laser, plasma instabilities were extremely deleterious, driving the program to the use of shorter wavelength light. Excellent coupling has been achieved in hohlraums driven with 0.35 {mu}m light on the Nova laser. Considerable attention is being given to the scaling of this excellent coupling to the larger hohlraums for an ignition target. Various instability control mechanisms such as large plasma wave damping and laser beam incoherence are discussed, as well as scaling experiments to check the instability levels.

Generation of relativistic electron beam and its anomalous stopping in the fast ignition scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sengupta, S.; Sandhu, A.S.; Dharmadhikari, A.K.; Kumar, G.R.; Das, A.; Kaw, P.K.

2005-01-01

We present experimental/theoretical results concerning two main physics issues related to the fast ignition scheme viz. the nonlinear mechanism of conversion of incident laser energy into a relativistic electron beam at the critical layer and its subsequent transport through an overdense plasma. Theoretical/numerical modelling of the experimental data, firstly shows that the conversion of the laser energy into an inward propagating electron beam occurs through the nonlinear mechanism of wave breaking of plasma waves excited at the critical layer and, secondly the transport of the electron beam through the overdense plasma is influenced by electrostatically induced and/or turbulence induced anomalous resistivity. (author)

Generation of mega-electron-volt electron beams by an ultrafast intense laser pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaofang; Saleh, Ned; Krishnan, Mohan; Wang Haiwen; Backus, Sterling; Murnane, Margaret; Kapteyn, Henry; Umstadter, Donald; Wang Quandong; Shen Baifei

2003-01-01

Mega-electron-volt (MeV) electron emission from the interaction of an ultrafast (τ∼29 fs), intense (>10 18 W/cm 2 ) laser pulse with underdense plasmas has been studied. A beam of MeV electrons with a divergence angle as small as 1 deg. is observed in the forward direction, which is correlated with relativistic filamentation of the laser pulse in plasmas. A novel net-energy-gain mechanism is proposed for electron acceleration resulting from the relativistic filamentation and beam breakup. These results suggest an approach for generating a beam of femtosecond, MeV electrons at a kilohertz repetition rate with a compact ultrafast intense laser system

On the design of experiments for the study of extreme field limits in the ultra-relativistic interaction of electromagnetic waves with plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Bulanov, Sergei V.; Esirkepov, Timur Z.; Hayashi, Yukio; Kando, Masaki; Kiriyama, Hiromitsu; Koga, James K.; Kondo, Kiminori; Kotaki, Hideyuki; Pirozhkov, Alexander S.; Bulanov, Stepan S.; Zhidkov, Alexei G.; Chen, Pisin; Neely, David; Kato, Yoshiaki; Narozhny, Nikolay B.; Korn, Georg

2011-06-01

The critical electric field of quantum electrodynamics, called also the Schwinger field, is so strong that it produces electron-positron pairs from vacuum, converting the energy of light into matter. Since the dawn of quantum electrodynamics, there has been a dream on how to reach it on Earth. With the rise of laser technology this field has become feasible through the construction of extremely high power lasers or/and with the sophisticated use of nonlinear processes in relativistic plasmas. This is one of the most attractive motivations for extremely high power laser development, i.e. producing matter from vacuum by pure light in fundamental process of quantum electrodynamics in the nonperturbative regime. Recently it has been realized that a laser with intensity well below the Schwinger limit can create an avalanche of electron-positron pairs similar to a discharge before attaining the Schwinger field. It has also been realized that the Schwinger limit can be reached using an appropriate configuration of laser beams. In experiments on the collision of laser light and high intensity electromagnetic pulses generated by relativistic flying mirrors, with electron bunches produced by a conventional accelerator and with laser wake field accelerated electrons the studying of extreme field limits in the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves is proposed. The regimes of dominant radiation reaction, which completely changes the electromagnetic wave-matter interaction, will be revealed. This will result in a new powerful source of high brightness gamma-rays. A possibility of the demonstration of the electronpositron pair creation in vacuum via multi-photon processes can be realized. This will allow modeling under terrestrial laboratory conditions neutron star magnetospheres, cosmological gamma ray bursts and the Leptonic Era of the Universe.

Beat-wave generation of plasmons in semiconductor plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berezhiani, V.I.; Mahajan, S.M.

1995-08-01

It is shown that in semiconductor plasmas, it is possible to generate large amplitude plasma waves by the beating of two laser beams with frequency difference close to the plasma frequency. For narrow gap semiconductor (for example n-type InSb), the system can simulate the physics underlying beat wave generation in relativistic gaseous plasmas. (author). 7 refs

Study of a recombination X-ray laser scheme in a H-like nitrogen plasma created by optical field induced ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hulin, S.

2001-01-01

Thanks to their high brightness and short wavelength, X ray lasers are interesting diagnostics in many experiments because they can efficiently probe dense plasmas. Furthermore their mono-chromaticity and collimation make them interesting tools in plasma physics but also in many biology or chemistry experiments. The effective use of this diagnostic is mainly depending on its dimensions and cost. For this reason, research on X ray laser is now focused on the reduction of cost and the realization of table-top facilities. One of these research axis, based on the optical field induced ionization (OFI) of the plasma, is presented in this work. An ultra-short (60 fs) high-brightness (10 19 W/cm 2 ) Ti:Sapphire (790 nm) laser is focused into a nitrogen pulsed gas jet. A dense (10 20 cm -3 ) plasma of fully stripped nitrogen is created by the way. During the fast recombination of the plasma some population inversions between levels of principal quantum number 2 and 1 (2.4 nm) and 3 and 2 (13.4 nm) can occur depending on the plasma parameters. The creation of the plasma by OFI, laser-plasma interaction dominated by relativistic self-focusing, and recombination dynamics are studied by numerical simulations on one hand and experiments on the other hand. Temperature measurements and numerical simulations show a strong heating, destructive for the laser scheme, which can be explained by Raman instability growing. Nevertheless plasma X ray emission in the 2-20 nm range show a strong increase with the electronic density of the 13.4 nm line intensity. This behavior is consistent with a laser effect but is not detected on the 2.4 nm transition line. (author)

High-intensity subpicosecond laser pulse propagation in a 1-cm capillary tube and fast ignitor experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malka, G.; Courtois, C.; Cros, B.; Matthieussent, G.; Borghesi, M.; Gaillard, R.; Mackinnon, A.J.; Willi, O.; Danson, C.; Neely, D.; Altenberd, D.; Feurer, T.; Forster, E.; Gibbon, P.; Sauerbray, R.; Teubner, U.; Theobald, W.; Uschmann, I.; Amiranoff, F.; Baton, S.; Gremillet, L.; Fuchs, J.; Marques, J.R.; Gallant, P.; Kieffer, J.C.; Pepin, H.; Adam, J.C.; Heron, A.; Laval, G.; Mora, P.

2000-01-01

We present an abstract of ultra short and intense laser plasma interaction experiments which were performed with the 100 TW P102 laser facility at CEA/Limeil-Valenton. Laser interaction at relativistic regime (I>10 18 W/cm 2 ) has been investigated with different 'targets': overdense plasma, underdense plasma, free electrons and capillary tube. These experiments are of great interests for the Fast Ignitor concept and the Laser Particle Accelerator. (authors)

Study on the intense relativistic electron beam propagation in a collisionless plasma of small density

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korenev, S.A.; Rubin, N.B.; Khodataev, K.V.

1982-01-01

The results of the experimental studies of the intense relativistic electron beam (IREB) propagation with ν/γ approximately 0.1, and γ approximately 1.6 (γ is an electron beam relativistic factor) in a collisionless plasma of small density over the 180 cm length are presented. Plasma is generated with the incomplete discharge over dielectric surface at the residual gas pressure of P approximately 10 -5 Torr. It is shown that the transportation efficiency may be essentially high, if the electron concentration in plasma satisfies the equilibrium conditions and if it is less or equal to the electron concentration in a beam. At concentration less than optimum one, the transportation efficiency decreases due to violations of equilibrium conditions. At high concentration the transportation efficiency also decreased due to the scattering and breaking on excited small-scale and plasma oscillations. The IREB propagation occurs without essential time delay under optimum conditions

The dispersion relation of charge and current compensated relativistic electron beam-plasma system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrba, P.; Schroetter, J.; Jarosova, P.; Koerbel, S.

1978-01-01

The unstable regions of relativistic electron beam-plasma system were determined by analysing the general dispersion relation numerically. The external parameters were varied to ensure more effective instability excitations. The full charge- and current compensation presumptions lead to the new synchronism predictions. The slow space charge wave and slow cyclotron wave of the return current are synchronous with the plasma ion wave. (author)

Femtosecond laser micromachining of sapphire capillaries for laser-wakefield acceleration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Messner, Philipp; Delbos, Niels Matthias; Maier, Andreas R. [CFEL, Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, 22607 Hamburg (Germany); University of Hamburg, Institute of Experimental Physics, 22761 Hamburg (Germany); Calmano, Thomas [University of Hamburg, Institute of Experimental Physics, 22761 Hamburg (Germany)

2015-07-01

Laser-plasma accelerator are promising candidates to provide ultra-relativistic electron beams for compact light sources. One factor that limits the achievable electron beam energy in a laser plasma accelerator is the Rayleigh length of the driver laser, which dictates the length over which the electron beams can effectively be accelerated. To overcome this limitation lasers can be guided in a capillary waveguide to extend the acceleration length beyond the Rayleigh length. The production of waveguide structures on scales, that are suitable for plasma acceleration is very challenging. Here, we present experimental results from waveguide machining in sapphire crystals using a Clark MXR CPA 2010 laser with a wavelength of 775nm, 1KHZ repetition rate and a pulse duration of 160 fs. We discuss the effects of different parameters like energy, lens types, writing speed and polarisation on the size and shape of the capillaries, and compare the performance of different parameter sets.

Modeling the astrophysical dynamical process with laser-plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Jiangfan; Zhang Jun; Zhang Jie

2001-01-01

The use of the state-of-the-art laser facility makes it possible to create conditions of the same or similar to those in the astrophysical processes. The introduction of the astrophysics-relevant ideas in laser-plasma experiments is propitious to the understanding of the astrophysical phenomena. However, the great difference between the laser-produced plasmas and the astrophysical processes makes it awkward to model the latter by laser-plasma experiments. The author addresses the physical backgrounds for modeling the astrophysical plasmas by laser plasmas, connecting these two kinds of plasmas by scaling laws. Thus, allowing the creation of experimental test beds where observations and models can be quantitatively compared with laser-plasma data. Special attentions are paid on the possibilities of using home-made laser facilities to model astrophysical phenomena

Geant4 simulations on Compton scattering of laser photons on relativistic electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filipescu, D. [Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics, str. Atomistilor nr. 407, Bucharest-Magurele, P.O.BOX MG6, Romania and National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering Horia Hulubei, str. Atomistilor nr. 407 (Romania); Utsunomiya, H. [Department of Physics, Konan University, Okamoto 8-9-1, Higashinada, Kobe 658-8501 (Japan); Gheorghe, I.; Glodariu, T. [National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering Horia Hulubei, str. Atomistilor nr. 407 (Romania); Tesileanu, O. [Extreme Light Infrastructure - Nuclear Physics, str. Atomistilor nr. 407, Bucharest-Magurele, P.O.BOX MG6 (Romania); Shima, T.; Takahisa, K. [Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 567-0047 (Japan); Miyamoto, S. [Laboratory of Advanced Science and Technology for Industry, University of Hyogo, 3-1-2 Kouto, Kamigori, Hyogo 678-1205 (Japan)

2015-02-24

Using Geant4, a complex simulation code of the interaction between laser photons and relativistic electrons was developed. We implemented physically constrained electron beam emittance and spacial distribution parameters and we also considered a Gaussian laser beam. The code was tested against experimental data produced at the γ-ray beam line GACKO (Gamma Collaboration Hutch of Konan University) of the synchrotron radiation facility NewSUBARU. Here we will discuss the implications of transverse missallignments of the collimation system relative to the electron beam axis.

Ultra relativistic heavy ions collisions or the search for quark-gluon plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaizot, J.P.

1985-03-01

This paper reviews some aspects of the physics of ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. The qualitative changes expected in the properties of hadronic matter at high temperature and/or large baryon density are described in terms of simple models. We discuss a scenario giving the space-time evolution of a quark-gluon plasma. Finally we address the difficult question of the possible signatures of the formation of a quark-gluon plasma in heavy ion collisions

Plasmas and intense laser light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, E.T.

1984-01-01

The present article begins with a description of the laser technology required to reach the high irradiances of interest and provides a brief outline of the more important diagnostic techniques used in investigating the plasmas. An introduction to plasma waves is given and the linear and nonlinear excitation of waves is discussed. The remainder of the article describes some of the experimental evidence supporting the interpretation of the plasma behaviour at high laser-light intensities in terms of the excitation of plasma waves and the subsequent heating of plasma by these waves. (author)

Influence of ions on relativistic double layers radiation in astrophysical plasmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AM Ahadi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available As double layers (DLs are one of the most important acceleration mechanisms in space as well as in laboratory plasmas, they are studied from different points of view. In this paper, the emitted power and energy radiated from charged particles, accelerated in relativistic cosmic DLs are investigated. The effect of the presence of additional ions in a multi-species plasma, as a real example of astrophysical plasma, is also investigated. Considering the acceleration role of DLs, radiations from accelerated charged particles could be seen as a loss mechanism. These radiations are influenced directly by the additional ion species as well as their relative densities.

New photoionization lasers pumped by laser-induced plasma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hube, M.; Dieckmann, M.; Beigang, R.; Welling, H.; Wellegehausen, B.

1988-01-01

Innershell photoionization of atomic gases and vapors by soft x rays from a laser-produced plasma is a potential method for making lasers at short wavelengths. Normally, in such experiments only a single plasma spot or plasma line is created for the excitation. This gives high excitation rates but only a short excitation length. At high excitation rates detrimental influences, such as amplified spontaneous emission, optical saturation, or quenching processes, may decrease or even destroy a possible inversion. Therefore, it seems to be more favorable to use a number of separated plasma spots with smaller excitation rates and larger excitation lengths. As a test, a three-plasma spot device was constructed and used in the well-known Cd-photoionization laser at 442 nm. With a 600-mJ Nd:YAH laser (pulse length, 8 ns) for plasma production, output energies up to 300 μJ have been measured, which is more than a doubling of so far obtained data. On innershell excitation, levels may be populated that allow direct lasers as in the case of Cd or that are metastable and cannot be directly coupled to lower levels. In this case modifications in the excitation process are necessary. Such modifications may be an optical pump process in the atom prior to the innershell photoionization or an optical pump process (population transfer process) after the innershell ionization, leading to Raman or anti-Stokes Raman-type laser emissions. With these techniques and the developed multiplasma spot excitation device a variety of new laser emissions in K and Cs ions have been achieved which are indicated in the level schemes

Cooling and focusing of a relativistic charged particle beam in crossed laser field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Fuli

1987-01-01

A new method to focus a relativistic charged particle beam is suggested and studied. This idea is based on the use of the ponderomotive force which arises when a periodic electromagnetic field is created, as in the case of two crossed laser beams. (author)

Numerical study on general dispersion relation of anisotropic and weakly relativistic plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ke Fujiu; Chen Yanping

1987-01-01

The key problem in heating and instability studies in plasma physics is to obtain dispersive equation and its solution. This paper presents the general dispersive equation and corresponding procedure for electromagnetic wave which nearly poloidally impinges on anisotropic, weakly relativistic Maxwellian plasma with inhomogeneous density in nonuniform magnetic field (such as plasma in TOKAMAK). The double index function F ij , significant in plasma physics, was expanded as single index function F 1 , and then the values were calculated by means of dispersive function. It was also pointed out that the severe error would be involved in the calculation of F ij from recurrence relation of F 11

Diagnostics of laser ablated plasma plumes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amoruso, S.; Toftmann, B.; Schou, Jørgen

2004-01-01

The effect of an ambient gas on the expansion dynamics of laser ablated plasmas has been studied for two systems by exploiting different diagnostic techniques. First, the dynamics of a MgB2 laser produced plasma plume in an Ar atmosphere has been investigated by space-and time-resolved optical...... of the laser ablated plasma plume propagation in a background gas. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved....

Extreme field limits in the interaction of laser light with ultrarelativistic electrons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bulanov, S. V.; Esirkepov, T. Zh.; Hayashi, Y.; Kando, M.; Kiriyama, H.; Koga, J.; Kondo, K.; Kotaki, H.; Pirozhkov, A.; Bulanov, S. S.; Zhidkov, A.; Chen, P.; Neely, D.; Kato, Y.; Narozhny, N. B.; Korn, G. [Kansai Photon Science Institute, JAEA, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0215 (Japan); University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Central Laser Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-1202 (Japan); Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (State University), Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Quantenoptik, Garching 85748 (Germany) and ELI Beamline Facility, Institute of Physics, CAS, Prague 18221 (Czech Republic)

2012-07-11

The critical electric field of quantum electrodynamics is so strong that it produces electron-positron pairs from vacuum, converting the energy of light into matter. This field has become feasible through the construction of extremely high power lasers or/and with the sophisticated use of nonlinear processes in relativistic plasmas. A feasibility of the experiments on the collision of laser light and high intensity electromagnetic pulses, generated by relativistic flying mirrors, with relativistic electrons for the studying of extreme field limits in the nonlinear interaction of electromagnetic waves is discussed.

Rapid plasma heating by collective interactions, using strong turbulence and relativistic electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wharton, C.B.

1977-01-01

A multi-kilovolt, moderate density plasma was generated in a magnetic mirror confinement system by two methods: turbulent heating and relativistic electron beam. Extensive diagnostic development permitted the measurement of important plasma characteristics, leading to interesting and novel conclusions regarding heating and loss mechanisms. Electron and ion heating mechanisms were categorized, and parameter studies made to establish ranges of importance. Nonthermal ion and electron energy distributions were measured. Beam propagation and energy deposition studies yielded the spatial dependence of plasma heating

All-optical time-resolved measurement of laser energy modulation in a relativistic electron beam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Xiang

2011-11-01

Full Text Available We propose and demonstrate an all-optical method to measure laser energy modulation in a relativistic electron beam. In this scheme the time-dependent energy modulation generated from the electron-laser interaction in an undulator is converted into time-dependent density modulation with a chicane, which is measured to infer the laser energy modulation. The method, in principle, is capable of simultaneously providing information on femtosecond time scale and 10^{-5} energy scale not accessible with conventional methods. We anticipate that this method may have wide applications in many laser-based advanced beam manipulation techniques.

High-intensity subpicosecond laser pulse propagation in a 1-cm capillary tube and fast ignitor experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malka, G.; Courtois, C.; Cros, B.; Matthieussent, G. [Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France). Lab. de Physique des Gaz et des Plasmas; Blanchot, N.; Bonnaud, G.; Busquet, M.; Canaud, B.; Desenne, D.; Diskier, L.; Garconnet, J.P.; Louis-Jacquet, M.; Lefebvre, E.; Lours, L.; Mens, A.; Miquel, J.L.; Peyrusse, O.; Rousseaux, C. [CEA/Limeil Valenton, 94 - Villeneuve Saint Georges (France); Borghesi, M.; Gaillard, R.; Mackinnon, A.J.; Willi, O. [Imperial Coll., Plasma Physics Groups, London (United Kingdom); Danson, C.; Neely, D. [Rutherford Appleton Lab., Chilton (United Kingdom); Altenberd, D.; Feurer, T.; Forster, E.; Gibbon, P.; Sauerbray, R.; Teubner, U.; Theobald, W.; Uschmann, I. [Institut fur Optik und Quantenelektronik, Jena (Germany); Amiranoff, F.; Baton, S.; Gremillet, L.; Fuchs, J.; Marques, J.R. [Ecole Polytechnique, Lab. d' Utilisation de Lasers Intenses, CNRS-CEA, 91 - Palaiseau (France); Gallant, P.; Kieffer, J.C.; Pepin, H. [INRS Energie et Materiaux, Quebec (Canada); Adam, J.C.; Heron, A.; Laval, G.; Mora, P. [Ecole Polytechnique, 91 - Palaiseau (France). Centre de Physique Theorique

2000-07-01

We present an abstract of ultra short and intense laser plasma interaction experiments which were performed with the 100 TW P102 laser facility at CEA/Limeil-Valenton. Laser interaction at relativistic regime (I>10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}) has been investigated with different 'targets': overdense plasma, underdense plasma, free electrons and capillary tube. These experiments are of great interests for the Fast Ignitor concept and the Laser Particle Accelerator. (authors)

Recent Progress on Laser Produced Positron Research At LLN

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hui; Hermann, M.; Kalantar, D.; Kemp, A.; Link, A.; Jiang, S.; Martinez, D.; Park, J.; Remington, B.; Sherlock, M.; Williams, Gj; Beg, F.; Edghill, B.; Fedosejevs, R.; Kerr, S.; D'Humieres, E.; Fiuza, F.; Willingale, L.; Fiksel, G.; Nakai, N.; Arikawa, Y.; Morace, A.; Sentoku, Y.

2017-10-01

We report the recent results on laser-produced relativistic electron-positron plasma jets. This includes: the prepulse and material dependence of pair generation; time dependent positron acceleration and maximum achieved pair density. We will highlight the results from recent experiments on the Omega EP laser testing nanostructured target to increase pair yield. We will also report on a newly commissioned platform using the NIF ARC lasers which was developed for efficient pair creation using 10 ps laser duration at near relativistic laser intensity. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. DOE by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344, and funded by LDRD (#17-ERD-010).

Self-focusing of nonlinear waves in a relativistic plasma with positive and negative ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukherjee, Joydeep; Chowdhury, A.R.

1994-01-01

The phenomenon of self-focusing of nonlinear waves was analysed in a relativistic plasma consisting of both positive and negative ions, which are assumed to be hot. The effect of the inertia of the relativistic electron is also considered by treating it dynamically. A modified form of reductive perturbation is used to deduce a nonlinear Schroedinger equation describing the purely spatial variation of the nonlinear wave. Self-focusing of the wave can be ascertained by analysing the transversal stability of the solitary wave. It is shown that the zones of stability of the wave may become wider due to the mutual influence of various factors present in the plasma, thus favouring the process of self-focusing. 10 refs., 2 figs

Radiation dominated relativistic current sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaroschek, C.H.

2008-01-01

Relativistic Current Sheets (RCS) feature plasma instabilities considered as potential key to magnetic energy dissipation and non-thermal particle generation in Poynting flux dominated plasma flows. We show in a series of kinetic plasma simulations that the physical nature of non-linear RCS evolution changes in the presence of incoherent radiation losses: In the ultra-relativistic regime (i.e. magnetization parameter sigma = 104 defined as the ratio of magnetic to plasma rest frame energy density) the combination of non-linear RCS dynamics and synchrotron emission introduces a temperature anisotropy triggering the growth of the Relativistic Tearing Mode (RTM). As direct consequence the RTM prevails over the Relativistic Drift Kink (RDK) Mode as competitive RCS instability. This is in contrast to the previously studied situation of weakly relativistic RCS (sigma ∼ 1) where the RDK is dominant and most of the plasma is thermalized. The simulations witness the typical life cycle of ultra-relativistic RCS evolving from a violent radiation induced collapse towards a radiation quiescent state in rather classical Sweet-Parker topology. Such a transition towards Sweet-Parker configuration in the late non-linear evolution has immediate consequences for the efficiency of magnetic energy dissipation and non-thermal particle generation. Ceasing dissipation rates directly affect our present understanding of non-linear RCS evolution in conventional striped wind scenarios. (author)

Laser driven particle acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faure, J.

2009-06-01

This dissertation summarizes the last ten years of research at the Laboratory of Applied Optics on laser-plasma based electron acceleration. The main result consists of the development and study of a relativistic electron source with unique properties: high energy (100-300 MeV) in short distances (few millimeters), mono-energetic, ultra-short (few fs), stable and tunable. The manuscript describes the steps that led to understanding the physics, and then mastering it in order to produce this new electron source. Non linear propagation of the laser pulse in the plasma is first presented, with phenomena such as non linear wakefield excitation, relativistic and ponderomotive self-focusing in the short pulse regime, self-compression. Acceleration and injection of electrons are then reviewed from a theoretical perspective. Experimental demonstrations of self-injection in the bubble regime and then colliding pulse injection are then presented. These experiments were among the first to produce monoenergetic, high quality, stable and tunable electron beams from a laser-plasma accelerator. The last two chapters are dedicated to the characterization of the electron beam using transition radiation and to its applications to gamma radiography and radiotherapy. Finally, the perspectives of this research are presented in the conclusion. Scaling laws are used to determine the parameters that the electron beams will reach using peta-watt laser systems currently under construction. (author)

Relativistic theory of tunnel and multiphoton ionization of atoms in a strong laser field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popov, V. S.; Karnakov, B. M.; Mur, V. D.; Pozdnyakov, S. G.

2006-01-01

Relativistic generalization is developed for the semiclassical theory of tunnel and multiphoton ionization of atoms and ions in the field of an intense electromagnetic wave (Keldysh theory). The cases of linear, circular, and elliptic polarizations of radiation are considered. For arbitrary values of the adiabaticity parameter γ, the exponential factor in the ionization rate for a relativistic bound state is calculated. For low-frequency laser radiation , an asymptotically exact formula for the tunnel ionization rate for the atomic s level is obtained including the Coulomb, spin, and adiabatic corrections and the preexponential factor. The ionization rate for the ground level of a hydrogen-like atom (ion) with Z ≤ 100 is calculated as a function of the laser radiation intensity. The range of applicability is determined for nonrelativistic ionization theory. The imaginary time method is used in the calculations

Relativistic acceleration of captured particles by a longitudinal wave in a slightly inhomogeneous plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erokhin, N.S.; Zol'nikova, N.N.; Mikhajlovskaya, L.A.

1991-01-01

Relativistic acceleration of charged particles, captured by a longitudinal wave in a slightly inhomogeneous plasma without an external magnetic field is considered numerically and analytically. It is shown that with the growth of the plasma inhomogeneity parameter the maximum energy of accelerated captured particles exponentially increases. Attention is paid to the possibility of 'eternal' confinement and, respectively, unlimited acceleration of captured particles by an undamped longitudinal wave in a plasma without a magnetic field

Nonlinear Thomson scattering of a relativistically strong tightly focused ultrashort laser pulse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vais, O. E.; Bochkarev, S. G., E-mail: bochkar@sci.lebedev.ru; Bychenkov, V. Yu. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Lebedev Physical Institute (Russian Federation)

2016-09-15

The problem of nonlinear Thomson scattering of a relativistically strong linearly polarized ultrashort laser pulse tightly focused into a spot with a diameter of D{sub F} ≳ λ (where λ is the laser wavelength) is solved. The energy, spectral, and angular distributions of radiation generated due to Thomson scattering from test electrons located in the focal region are found. The characteristics of scattered radiation are studied as functions of the tightness of laser focusing and the initial position of test particles relative to the center of the focal region for a given laser pulse energy. It is demonstrated that the ultratight focusing is not optimal for obtaining the brightest and hardest source of secondary electromagnetic radiation. The hardest and shortest radiation pulse is generated when the beam waist diameter is ≃10λ.

Novel aspects of direct laser acceleration of relativistic electrons

Science.gov (United States)

Arefiev, Alexey

2015-11-01

Production of energetic electrons is a keystone aspect of ultraintense laser-plasma interactions that underpins a variety of topics and applications, including fast ignition inertial confinement fusion and compact particle and radiation sources. There is a wide range of electron acceleration regimes that depend on the duration of the laser pulse and the plasma density. This talk focuses on the regime in which the plasma is significantly underdense and the laser pulse duration is longer than the electron response time, so that, in contrast to the wakefield acceleration regime, the pulse creates a quasi-static channel in the electron density. Such a regime is of particular interest, since it can naturally arise in experiments with solid density targets where the pre-pulse of an ultraintense laser produces an extended sub-critical pre-plasma. This talk examines the impact of several key factors on electron acceleration by the laser pulse and the resulting electron energy gain. A detailed consideration is given to the role played by: (1) the static longitudinal electric field, (2) the static transverse electric field, (3) the electron injection into the laser pulse, (4) the electromagnetic dispersion, and (5) the static longitudinal magnetic field. It is shown that all of these factors lead, under conditions outlined in the talk, to a considerable electron energy gain that greatly exceeds the ponderomotive limit. The static fields do not directly transfer substantial energy to electrons. Instead, they alter the longitudinal dephasing between the electrons and the laser pulse, which then allows the electrons to gain extra energy from the pulse. The talk will also outline a time-resolution criterion that must be satisfied in order to correctly reproduce these effects in particle-in-cell simulations. Supported by AFOSR Contract No. FA9550-14-1-0045, National Nuclear Security Administration Contract No. DE-FC52-08NA28512, and US Department of Energy Contract No. DE-FG02

Relativistic electron acceleration in focused laser fields after above-threshold ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodin, I.Y.; Fisch, N.J.

2003-01-01

Electrons produced as a result of above-threshold ionization of high-Z atoms can be accelerated by currently producible laser pulses up to GeV energies, as shown recently by Hu and Starace [Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 245003 (2002)]. To describe electron acceleration by general focused laser fields, we employ an analytical model based on a Hamiltonian, fully relativistic, ponderomotive approach. Though the above-threshold ionization represents an abrupt process compared to laser oscillations, the ponderomotive approach can still adequately predict the resulting energy gain if the proper initial conditions are introduced for the particle drift following the ionization event. Analytical expressions for electron energy gain are derived and the applicability conditions of the ponderomotive formulation are studied both analytically and numerically. The theoretical predictions are supported by numerical computations

Hollow laser plasma self-confined microjet generation

Science.gov (United States)

Sizyuk, Valeryi; Hassanein, Ahmed; CenterMaterials under Extreme Environment Team

2017-10-01

Hollow laser beam produced plasma (LPP) devices are being used for the generation of the self-confined cumulative microjet. Most important place by this LPP device construction is achieving of an annular distribution of the laser beam intensity by spot. An integrated model is being developed to detailed simulation of the plasma generation and evolution inside the laser beam channel. The model describes in two temperature approximation hydrodynamic processes in plasma, laser absorption processes, heat conduction, and radiation energy transport. The total variation diminishing scheme in the Lax-Friedrich formulation for the description of plasma hydrodynamic is used. Laser absorption and radiation transport models on the base of Monte Carlo method are being developed. Heat conduction part on the implicit scheme with sparse matrixes using is realized. The developed models are being integrated into HEIGHTS-LPP computer simulation package. The integrated modeling of the hollow beam laser plasma generation showed the self-confinement and acceleration of the plasma microjet inside the laser channel. It was found dependence of the microjet parameters including radiation emission on the hole and beam radiuses ratio. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation, PIRE project.

Nonlinear dynamic of interaction of the relativistic electron beam with plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorofeenko, V.G.; Krasovitskii, V.B.; Osmolovsky, S.I.

1994-01-01

Quasi-transverse instability of thin relativistic electron beam in a dense plasma is studied numerically and analytically in a broad range of the frequency of the beam modulation and external longitudinal magnetic field. It is shown that the nonlinear stage of solution depends on the increment of the instability. It is permitted to classify possible nonlinear solutions and also to determine optimal regimes of the modulation for transport of beam along magnetic field in a plasma without substantial radial divergence. Numerical calculations show, that injection of the bunches with parameters, corresponding nonlinear regime of the beam's instability, in neutrally-charged plasma permits to output on the stationary regime without loss of particles

Staging of laser-plasma accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinke, S., E-mail: ssteinke@lbl.gov; Tilborg, J. van; Benedetti, C.; Geddes, C. G. R.; Gonsalves, A. J.; Nakamura, K.; Schroeder, C. B.; Esarey, E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Daniels, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Swanson, K. K.; Shaw, B. H.; Leemans, W. P. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2016-05-15

We present results of an experiment where two laser-plasma-accelerator stages are coupled at a short distance by a plasma mirror. Stable electron beams from the first stage were used to longitudinally probe the dark-current-free, quasi-linear wakefield excited by the laser of the second stage. Changing the arrival time of the electron beam with respect to the second stage laser pulse allowed reconstruction of the temporal wakefield structure, determination of the plasma density, and inference of the length of the electron beam. The first stage electron beam could be focused by an active plasma lens to a spot size smaller than the transverse wake size at the entrance of the second stage. This permitted electron beam trapping, verified by a 100 MeV energy gain.

Channeling and stability of laser pulses in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprangle, P.; Krall, J.; Esarey, E.

1995-01-01

A laser pulse propagating in a plasma is found to undergo a combination of hose and modulation instabilities. The coupled equations for the laser beam envelope and centroid are derived and solved for a laser pulse of finite length propagating through either a uniform plasma or preformed plasma density channel. The laser envelope equation describes the pulse self-focusing and optical guiding in plasmas and is used to analyze the self-modulation instability. The laser centroid equation describes the transverse motion of the laser pulse (hosing) in plasmas. Significant coupling between the centroid and envelope motion as well as harmonic generation in the envelope can occur. In addition, the transverse profile of the generated wake field is strongly affected by the laser hose instability. Methods to reduce the laser hose instability are demonstrated. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Relativistic plasma turbulence and its application to pulsar phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinata, S.

1976-01-01

A turbulent plasma model of pulsars which has the potential of providing a self-regulatory mechanism for producing an electron-positron plasma over the polar caps, as well as the coherency of the radio wave emission, is analyzed. Turbulent plasma properties including the kinetic and electrostatic energy densities, the wavelength of the most unstable mode, and the effective collision frequency due to the excited electric field, are obtained and applied to the pulsar situation. Since these properties depend on the momentum distribution of the plasma particles, model calculations have been carried out with simple momentum distribution functions. The radio luminosity due to turbulence (bunching or otherwise) turned out to be either insufficient or unclear at the moment for these simple momentum distributions. This indicates that a further investigation of turbulence processes with the self-consistently determined momentum distribution is needed. This is left for future analysis, because entirely different processes (e.g. trapping) are likely to dominate the physics as is demonstrated for one of the model distribution functions. In addition to the above mentioned model, we examine some wave propagation properties in a relativistic electron-positron plasma immersed in a strong magnetic field

MM-wave emission by magnetized plasma during sub-relativistic electron beam relaxation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivanov, I. A., E-mail: Ivanov@inp.nsk.su; Arzhannikov, A. V.; Burmasov, V. S.; Popov, S. S.; Postupaev, V. V.; Sklyarov, V. F.; Vyacheslavov, L. N. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 11 Lavrentjev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova Street, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Burdakov, A. V.; Sorokina, N. V. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 11 Lavrentjev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State Technical University, 20 Karl Marx Avenue, Novosibirsk 630092 (Russian Federation); Gavrilenko, D. E.; Kasatov, A. A.; Kandaurov, I. V.; Mekler, K. I.; Rovenskikh, A. F.; Trunev, Yu. A. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 11 Lavrentjev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Kurkuchekov, V. V.; Kuznetsov, S. A. [Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova Street, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Polosatkin, S. V. [Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 11 Lavrentjev Avenue, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, 2 Pirogova Street, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State Technical University, 20 Karl Marx Avenue, Novosibirsk 630092 (Russian Federation)

2015-12-15

There are described electromagnetic spectra of radiation emitted by magnetized plasma during sub-relativistic electron beam in a double plasma frequency band. Experimental studies were performed at the multiple-mirror trap GOL-3. The electron beam had the following parameters: 70–110 keV for the electron energy, 1–10 MW for the beam power and 30–300 μs for its duration. The spectrum was measured in 75–230 GHz frequency band. The frequency of the emission follows variations in electron plasma density and magnetic field strength. The specific emission power on the length of the plasma column is estimated on the level 0.75 kW/cm.

Coherent control of plasma dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhaohan

2014-10-01

The concept of coherent control - precise measurement or determination of a process through control of the phase of an applied oscillating field - has been applied to numerous systems with great success. Here, we demonstrate the use of coherent control on plasma dynamics in a laser wakefield electron acceleration experiment. A tightly focused femtosecond laser pulse (10 mJ, 35 fs) was used to generate electron beams by plasma wakefield acceleration in the density down ramp. The technique is based on optimization of the electron beam using a deformable mirror adaptive optical system with an iterative evolutionary genetic algorithm. The image of the electrons on a scintillator screen was processed and used in a fitness function as direct feedback for the optimization algorithm. This coherent manipulation of the laser wavefront leads to orders of magnitude improvement to the electron beam properties such as the peak charge and beam divergence. The laser beam optimized to generate the best electron beam was not the one with the ``best'' focal spot. When a particular wavefront of laser light interacts with plasma, it can affect the plasma wave structures and trapping conditions of the electrons in a complex way. For example, Raman forward scattering, envelope self-modulation, relativistic self-focusing, and relativistic self-phase modulation and many other nonlinear interactions modify both the pulse envelope and phase as the pulse propagates, in a way that cannot be easily predicted and that subsequently dictates the formation of plasma waves. The optimal wavefront could be successfully determined via the heuristic search under laser-plasma conditions that were not known a priori. Control and shaping of the electron energy distribution was found to be less effective, but was still possible. Particle-in-cell simulations were performed to show that the mode structure of the laser beam can affect the plasma wave structure and trapping conditions of electrons, which

Creation of electron-positron plasma with superstrong laser field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narozhny, N.B.; Fedotov, A.M.

2014-01-01

We present a short review of recent progress in studying QED effects within the interaction of ultra-relativistic laser pulses with vacuum and e - e + plasma. Current development in laser technologies promises very rapid growth of laser intensities in the near future. Two exa-watt class facilities (ELI and XCELS, Russia) in Europe are already in the planning stage. Realization of these projects will make available a laser intensity of 10 26 W/cm 2 or even higher. Therefore, discussion of nonlinear optical effects in vacuum are becoming compelling for experimentalists and are currently gaining much attention. We show that, in spite of the fact that the expected field strength is still essentially less than E S = m 2 c 3 /eℎ = 1.32*10 16 V/cm, the nonlinear vacuum effects will be accessible for observation at the ELI and XCELS facilities. The most promising effect for observation is pair creation by a laser pulse in vacuum. It is shown, that at intensities of about 5*10 25 W/cm 2 , creation even of a single pair is accompanied by the development of an avalanche QED cascade. There exists a distinctive feature of the laser-induced cascades, as compared with the air showers arising due primarily to cosmic rays entering the atmosphere. In our case the laser field plays not only the role of a target (similar to a nucleus in the case of air showers) but is also responsible for the acceleration of slow particles. It is shown that the effect of pair creation imposes a natural limit for the attainable laser intensity and, apparently, the field strength E ≅ E S is not accessible for a pair-creating electromagnetic field at all. (authors)

Editorial: Focus on Laser- and Beam-Driven Plasma Accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Chan; Malka, Victor

2010-04-01

Persson, K Osvay, C-G Wahlström, D C Carroll, P McKenna, A Flacco and V Malka Proton acceleration by moderately relativistic laser pulses interacting with solid density targets Erik Lefebvre, Laurent Gremillet, Anna Lévy, Rachel Nuter, Patrizio Antici, Michaël Carrié, Tiberio Ceccotti, Mathieu Drouin, Julien Fuchs, Victor Malka and David Neely Holographic visualization of laser wakefields P Dong, S A Reed, S A Yi, S Kalmykov, Z Y Li, G Shvets, N H Matlis, C McGuffey, S S Bulanov, V Chvykov, G Kalintchenko, K Krushelnick, A Maksimchuk, T Matsuoka, A G R Thomas, V Yanovsky and M C Downer The scaling of proton energies in ultrashort pulse laser plasma acceleration K Zeil, S D Kraft, S Bock, M Bussmann, T E Cowan, T Kluge, J Metzkes, T Richter, R Sauerbrey and U Schramm Plasma cavitation in ultraintense laser interactions with underdense helium plasmas P M Nilson, S P D Mangles, L Willingale, M C Kaluza, A G R Thomas, M Tatarakis, R J Clarke, K L Lancaster, S Karsch, J Schreiber, Z Najmudin, A E Dangor and K Krushelnick Radiation pressure acceleration of ultrathin foils Andrea Macchi, Silvia Veghini, Tatyana V Liseykina and Francesco Pegoraro Target normal sheath acceleration: theory, comparison with experiments and future perspectives Matteo Passoni, Luca Bertagna and Alessandro Zani Generation of a highly collimated, mono-energetic electron beam from laser-driven plasma-based acceleration Sanyasi Rao Bobbili, Anand Moorti, Prasad Anant Naik and Parshotam Dass Gupta Controlled electron acceleration in the bubble regime by optimizing plasma density Meng Wen, Baifei Shen, Xiaomei Zhang, Fengchao Wang, Zhangying Jin, Liangliang Ji, Wenpeng Wang, Jiancai Xu and Kazuhisa Nakajima A multidimensional theory for electron trapping by a plasma wake generated in the bubble regime I Kostyukov, E Nerush, A Pukhov and V Seredov Investigation of the role of plasma channels as waveguides for laser-wakefield accelerators T P A Ibbotson, N Bourgeois, T P Rowlands-Rees, L S Caballero, S I

High-order harmonics generation from overdense plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quere, F.; Thaury, C.; Monot, P.; Martin, Ph.; Geindre, J.P.; Audebert, P.; Marjoribanks, R.

2006-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. When an intense laser beam reflects on an overdense plasma generated on a solid target, high-order harmonics of the incident laser frequency are observed in the reflected beam. This process provides a way to produce XUV femtosecond and attosecond pulses in the μJ range from ultrafast ultraintense lasers. Studying the mechanisms responsible for this harmonic emission is also of strong fundamental interest: just as HHG in gases has been instrumental in providing a comprehensive understanding of basic intense laser-atom interactions, HHG from solid-density plasmas is likely to become a unique tool to investigate many key features of laser-plasma interactions at high intensities. We will present both experimental and theoretical evidence that two mechanisms contribute to this harmonic emission: - Coherent Wake Emission: in this process, harmonics are emitted by plasma oscillations in te overdense plasma, triggered in the wake of jets of Brunel electrons generated by the laser field. - The relativistic oscillating mirror: in this process, the intense laser field drives a relativistic oscillation of the plasma surface, which in turn gives rise to a periodic phase modulation of the reflected beam, and hence to the generation of harmonics of the incident frequency. Left graph: experimental harmonic spectrum from a polypropylene target, obtained with 60 fs laser pulses at 10 19 W/cm 2 , with a very high temporal contrast (10 10 ). The plasma frequency of this target corresponds to harmonics 15-16, thus excluding the CWE mechanism for the generation of harmonics of higher orders. Images on the right: harmonic spectra from orders 13 et 18, for different distances z between the target and the best focus. At the highest intensity (z=0), harmonics emitted by the ROM mechanism are observed above the 15th order. These harmonics have a much smaller spectral width then those due to CWE (below the 15th order). These ROM harmonics vanish as soon

Generation conditions of CW Diode Laser Sustained Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimoto, Koji; Matsui, Makoto; Ono, Takahiro

2016-09-01

Laser sustained plasma was generated using 1 kW class continuous wave diode laser. The laser beam was focused on the seed plasma generated by arc discharge in 1 MPa xenon lamp. The diode laser has advantages of high energy conversion efficiency of 80%, ease of maintenance, compact size and availability of conventional quartz based optics. Therefore, it has a prospect of further development compared with conventional CO2 laser. In this study, variation of the plasma shape caused by laser power is observed and also temperature distribution in the direction of plasma radius is measured by optical emission spectroscopy.

Energy transport in laser produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)