Compressing Magnetic Fields with High-Energy Lasers

Journal Article · Tue May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3416557· OSTI ID:979375

Laser-driven magnetic-field compression producing a magnetic field of tens of megaGauss is reported for the first time. A shock wave formed during the implosion of a cylindrical target traps an initial (seed) magnetic field that is amplified via conservation of magnetic flux. Such large fields are expected to magnetize the electrons in the hot, central plasma, leading to a cyclotron frequency exceeding the collision frequency. The Omega Laser Facility [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495 (1997)] was used to implode cylindrical CH targets filled with deuterium gas and seeded with an external field (>50 kG) from a magnetic pulse generator. This seed field is trapped and rapidly compressed by the imploding shell, minimizing the effect of resistive flux diffusion. The compressed field was probed via proton deflectrometry using 14.7 MeV protons from the D+3He fusion reaction emitted by an imploding glass microballoon. Line-averaged magnetic fields of the imploded core were measured to between 30 and 40 MG. Experimental data were analyzed with both a magnetohydrodynamic version of the one-dimensional hydrocode LILAC [J. Delettrez et al., Phys. Rev. A 36, 3926 (1987); N. W. Jang et al., Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 51, 144 (2006)] and the particle propagation code GEANT4 [S. Agostinelli et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 506, 250 (2003)].

• Research Organization: Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC52-08NA28302
• OSTI ID: 979375
• Report Number(s): DOE/NA/28302-949; 2009-97; 1932
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 5; Conference: 51st Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, Atlanta, GA, 2-6 November 2009; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English