Dense electron-positron plasmas and gamma-ray bursts generation by counter-propagating quantum electrodynamics-strong laser interaction with solid targets
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang 421001 (China)
- College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073 (China)
- Extreme Light Infrastructure – Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP)/Horia Hulubei National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), 30 Reactorului St., Bucharest-Magurele, jud. Ilfov, P.O.B. MG-6, RO-077125 (Romania)
- IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)
We use quantum electrodynamics (QED) particle-in-cell simulations to investigate and compare the generation of dense electron-positron plasmas and intense γ-ray bursts in the case of counter-propagating laser solid interaction (two-side irradiation) and single laser solid interaction (one-side irradiation). In the case of counter-propagating linearly polarized laser pulses irradiating a thin aluminum foil with each pulse peak power of 12.5 PW (I = 4 × 10{sup 23 }W/cm{sup 2}), we calculate that about 20% of the laser energy is converted into a burst of γ-rays with flux exceeding 10{sup 14 }s.{sup −1} This would be one of the most intense γ-ray sources among those currently available in laboratories. The γ-ray conversion efficiency in the case of two-side irradiation is three times higher than in the case of one-side irradiation using a single 12.5 PW laser. Dense electron-positron plasma with a maximum density of 6 × 10{sup 27 }m{sup −3} are generated simultaneously during the two-side irradiation which is eightfold denser compared to the one-side irradiation. The enhancement of the effects in the case of counter-propagating lasers are the results of the symmetrical compression of the foil target and the formation of electric potential and standing wave around the target. Realizing experimentally the proposed counter-propagating QED-strong laser-solid interaction to produce dense electron-positron pairs and prolific γ-rays will be made possible by the Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics facility under construction.
- OSTI ID:
- 22490944
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Identifying the electron–positron cascade regimes in high-intensity laser-matter interactions
Development of a radiative-hydrodynamics testbed using the petawatt laser facility