Towards laboratory produced relativistic electron–positron pair plasmas

Chen, Hui; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Wilks, S. C.; Cauble, R.; Dollar, F.; Falk, K.; Gregori, G.; Hazi, A.; Moses, E. I.; Murphy, C. D.; Myatt, J.; Park, J.; Seely, J.; Shepherd, R.; Spitkovsky, A.; Stoeckl, C.; Szabo, C. I.; Tommasini, R.; Zulick, C.; Beiersdorfer, P.

doi:10.1016/j.hedp.2011.05.006

Towards laboratory produced relativistic electron–positron pair plasmas

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · High Energy Density Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2011.05.006· OSTI ID:1068295

Chen, Hui; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Wilks, S. C.; Cauble, R.; Dollar, F.; Falk, K.; Gregori, G.; Hazi, A.; Moses, E. I.; Murphy, C. D.; Myatt, J.; Park, J.; Seely, J.; Shepherd, R.; Spitkovsky, A.; Stoeckl, C.; Szabo, C. I.; Tommasini, R.; Zulick, C.; Beiersdorfer, P.

We review recent experimental results on the path to producing electron–positron pair plasmas using lasers. Relativistic pair-plasmas and jets are believed to exist in many astrophysical objects and are often invoked to explain energetic phenomena related to Gamma Ray Bursts and Black Holes. On earth, positrons from radioactive isotopes or accelerators are used extensively at low energies (sub-MeV) in areas related to surface science positron emission tomography and basic antimatter science. Experimental platforms capable of producing the high-temperature pair-plasma and high-flux jets required to simulate astrophysical positron conditions have so far been absent. In the past few years, we performed extensive experiments generating positrons with intense lasers where we found that relativistic electron and positron jets are produced by irradiating a solid gold target with an intense picosecond laser pulse. The positron temperatures in directions parallel and transverse to the beam both exceeded 0.5 MeV, and the density of electrons and positrons in these jets are of order 1016 cm^-3 and 1013 cm^-3, respectively. With the increasing performance of high-energy ultra-short laser pulses, we expect that a high-density, up to 1018 cm^-3, relativistic pair-plasma is achievable, a novel regime of laboratory-produced hot dense matter.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-48

OSTI ID:: 1068295

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-468515

Journal Information:: High Energy Density Physics, Journal Name: High Energy Density Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 7; ISSN 1574-1818

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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