Leveraging extreme laser-driven magnetic fields for gamma-ray generation and pair production
Abstract
In this paper, the ability of an intense laser pulse to propagate in a classically over-critical plasma through the phenomenon of relativistic transparency is shown to facilitate the generation of strong plasma magnetic fields. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that these fields significantly enhance the radiation rates of the laser-irradiated electrons, and furthermore they collimate the emission so that a directed and dense beam of multi-MeV gamma-rays is achievable. This capability can be exploited for electron–positron pair production via the linear Breit–Wheeler process by colliding two such dense beams. Finally, presented simulations show that more than 103 pairs can be produced in such a setup, and the directionality of the positrons can be controlled by the angle of incidence between the beams.
- Authors:
-
- Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Center for Energy Research
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- CNRS and CEA and Univ. of Bordeaux (France). Center for Intense Lasers and Applications (CELIA)
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden (Germany). Inst. for Radiation Physics
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1463499
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-21518
Journal ID: ISSN 0741-3335; TRN: US1902309
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396; 1632777; ACI-1548562; FA9550-17-1-0382; EP/G054940/1; EP/G055165/1; EP/G056803/1
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 60; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0741-3335
- Publisher:
- IOP Science
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; plasma channel; pair creation; high energy radiation; laser acceleration; relativistic transparency; ultra-high magnetic fields; plasma
Citation Formats
Jansen, O., Wang, T., Stark, D. J., d'Humieres, E., Toncian, T., and Arefiev, A. V. Leveraging extreme laser-driven magnetic fields for gamma-ray generation and pair production. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1088/1361-6587/aab222.
Jansen, O., Wang, T., Stark, D. J., d'Humieres, E., Toncian, T., & Arefiev, A. V. Leveraging extreme laser-driven magnetic fields for gamma-ray generation and pair production. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/aab222
Jansen, O., Wang, T., Stark, D. J., d'Humieres, E., Toncian, T., and Arefiev, A. V. 2018.
"Leveraging extreme laser-driven magnetic fields for gamma-ray generation and pair production". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/aab222. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1463499.
@article{osti_1463499,
title = {Leveraging extreme laser-driven magnetic fields for gamma-ray generation and pair production},
author = {Jansen, O. and Wang, T. and Stark, D. J. and d'Humieres, E. and Toncian, T. and Arefiev, A. V.},
abstractNote = {In this paper, the ability of an intense laser pulse to propagate in a classically over-critical plasma through the phenomenon of relativistic transparency is shown to facilitate the generation of strong plasma magnetic fields. Particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that these fields significantly enhance the radiation rates of the laser-irradiated electrons, and furthermore they collimate the emission so that a directed and dense beam of multi-MeV gamma-rays is achievable. This capability can be exploited for electron–positron pair production via the linear Breit–Wheeler process by colliding two such dense beams. Finally, presented simulations show that more than 103 pairs can be produced in such a setup, and the directionality of the positrons can be controlled by the angle of incidence between the beams.},
doi = {10.1088/1361-6587/aab222},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1463499},
journal = {Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion},
issn = {0741-3335},
number = 5,
volume = 60,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Mon Feb 26 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}
Web of Science
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