Visualizing electromagnetic fields in laser-produced counter-streaming plasma experiments for collisionless shock laboratory astrophysics

Journal Article · Wed May 15 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4804548· OSTI ID:22228102

Kugland, N. L.; Ross, J. S.; Glenzer, S. H.; Huntington, C.; Martinez, D.; Plechaty, C.; Remington, B. A.; Ryutov, D. D.; Park, H. -S. ^[1]; Chang, P. -Y.; Fiksel, G.; Froula, D. H. ^[2]; Drake, R. P.; Grosskopf, M.; Kuranz, C. ^[3]; Gregori, G.; Meinecke, J.; Reville, B. ^[4]; Koenig, M.; Pelka, A. ^[5] ; others, and

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
2. Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, 250 E. River Road, Rochester, New York 14636 (United States)
3. Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
4. Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU (United Kingdom)
5. Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers Intenses (LULI), École Polytechnique-Univ, Paris VI, 91128 Palaiseau (France)

Collisionless shocks are often observed in fast-moving astrophysical plasmas, formed by non-classical viscosity that is believed to originate from collective electromagnetic fields driven by kinetic plasma instabilities. However, the development of small-scale plasma processes into large-scale structures, such as a collisionless shock, is not well understood. It is also unknown to what extent collisionless shocks contain macroscopic fields with a long coherence length. For these reasons, it is valuable to explore collisionless shock formation, including the growth and self-organization of fields, in laboratory plasmas. The experimental results presented here show at a glance with proton imaging how macroscopic fields can emerge from a system of supersonic counter-streaming plasmas produced at the OMEGA EP laser. Interpretation of these results, plans for additional measurements, and the difficulty of achieving truly collisionless conditions are discussed. Future experiments at the National Ignition Facility are expected to create fully formed collisionless shocks in plasmas with no pre-imposed magnetic field.

• OSTI ID: 22228102
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ASTROPHYSICS
COHERENCE LENGTH
COLLISIONLESS PLASMA
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
NEODYMIUM LASERS
OMEGA FACILITY
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PROTONS
SHOCK WAVES
US NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY
VISCOSITY