Heating a plasma by a broadband stream of fast electrons: Fast ignition, shock ignition, and Gbar shock wave applications
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University of Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA (France)
An exact analytic solution is found for the steady-state distribution function of fast electrons with an arbitrary initial spectrum irradiating a planar low-Z plasma with an arbitrary density distribution. The solution is applied to study the heating of a material by fast electrons of different spectra such as a monoenergetic spectrum, a step-like distribution in a given energy range, and a Maxwellian spectrum, which is inherent in laser-produced fast electrons. The heating of shock- and fast-ignited precompressed inertial confinement fusion (ICF) targets as well as the heating of a target designed to generate a Gbar shock wave for equation of state (EOS) experiments by laser-produced fast electrons with a Maxwellian spectrum is investigated. A relation is established between the energies of two groups of Maxwellian fast electrons, which are responsible for generation of a shock wave and heating the upstream material (preheating). The minimum energy of the fast and shock igniting beams as well as of the beam for a Gbar shock wave generation increases with the spectral width of the electron distribution.
- OSTI ID:
- 22472069
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Vol. 121, Issue 3; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2015 Pleiades Publishing, Inc.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7761
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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