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Title: Weakly relativistic plasma expansion

Abstract

Plasma expansion is an important physical process that takes place in laser interactions with solid targets. Within a self-similar model for the hydrodynamical multi-fluid equations, we investigated the expansion of both dense and under-dense plasmas. The weakly relativistic electrons are produced by ultra-intense laser pulses, while ions are supposed to be in a non-relativistic regime. Numerical investigations have shown that relativistic effects are important for under-dense plasma and are characterized by a finite ion front velocity. Dense plasma expansion is found to be governed mainly by quantum contributions in the fluid equations that originate from the degenerate pressure in addition to the nonlinear contributions from exchange and correlation potentials. The quantum degeneracy parameter profile provides clues to set the limit between under-dense and dense relativistic plasma expansions at a given density and temperature.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Theoretical Physics Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, USTHB, B.P. 32 Bab-Ezzouar, 16079 Algiers (Algeria)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22408291
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 22; Journal Issue: 4; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ELECTRONS; HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL; INTERACTIONS; IONS; LASER RADIATION; LASER TARGETS; NONLINEAR PROBLEMS; PLASMA DENSITY; PLASMA EXPANSION; POTENTIALS; PULSES; RELATIVISTIC PLASMA; RELATIVISTIC RANGE

Citation Formats

Fermous, Rachid, and Djebli, Mourad. Weakly relativistic plasma expansion. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4917078.
Fermous, Rachid, & Djebli, Mourad. Weakly relativistic plasma expansion. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4917078
Fermous, Rachid, and Djebli, Mourad. 2015. "Weakly relativistic plasma expansion". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4917078.
@article{osti_22408291,
title = {Weakly relativistic plasma expansion},
author = {Fermous, Rachid and Djebli, Mourad},
abstractNote = {Plasma expansion is an important physical process that takes place in laser interactions with solid targets. Within a self-similar model for the hydrodynamical multi-fluid equations, we investigated the expansion of both dense and under-dense plasmas. The weakly relativistic electrons are produced by ultra-intense laser pulses, while ions are supposed to be in a non-relativistic regime. Numerical investigations have shown that relativistic effects are important for under-dense plasma and are characterized by a finite ion front velocity. Dense plasma expansion is found to be governed mainly by quantum contributions in the fluid equations that originate from the degenerate pressure in addition to the nonlinear contributions from exchange and correlation potentials. The quantum degeneracy parameter profile provides clues to set the limit between under-dense and dense relativistic plasma expansions at a given density and temperature.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4917078},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22408291}, journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
issn = {1070-664X},
number = 4,
volume = 22,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}