The unexpected role of evolving longitudinal electric fields in generating energetic electrons in relativistically transparent plasmas

Willingale, L.; Arefiev, A. V.; Williams, G. J.; Chen, H.; Dollar, F.; Hazi, A. U.; Maksimchuk, A.; Manuel, M. J-E; Marley, E.; Nazarov, W.; Zhao, T. Z.; Zulick, C.

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/aae034

Title: The unexpected role of evolving longitudinal electric fields in generating energetic electrons in relativistically transparent plasmas

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · New Journal of Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aae034· OSTI ID:1471807

;

; Chen, H.;

; Hazi, A. U.; Maksimchuk, A.;

;

; Nazarov, W.; Zhao, T. Z.;

Here, superponderomotive-energy electrons are observed experimentally from the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a relativistically transparent target. For a relativistically transparent target, kinetic modeling shows that the generation of energetic electrons is dominated by energy transfer within the main, classically overdense, plasma volume. The laser pulse produces a narrowing, funnel-like channel inside the plasma volume that generates a field structure responsible for the electron heating. The field structure combines a slowly evolving azimuthal magnetic field, generated by a strong laser-driven longitudinal electron current, and, unexpectedly, a strong propagating longitudinal electric field, generated by reflections off the walls of the funnel-like channel. The magnetic field assists electron heating by the transverse electric field of the laser pulse through deflections, whereas the longitudinal electric field directly accelerates the electrons in the forward direction. The longitudinal electric field produced by reflections is 30 times stronger than that in the incoming laser beam and the resulting direct laser acceleration contributes roughly one third of the energy transferred by the transverse electric field of the laser pulse to electrons of the super-ponderomotive tail.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: NA0002008; AC52-07NA27344; FG02-04ER54742; NA0002028; NA0002723

OSTI ID:: 1471807

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1479073; OSTI ID: 1565912

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL-679373; LLNL-JRNL-760366

Journal Information:: New Journal of Physics, Journal Name: New Journal of Physics Vol. 20 Journal Issue: 9; ISSN 1367-2630

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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Cited by: 28 works

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References (58)

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Title: The unexpected role of evolving longitudinal electric fields in generating energetic electrons in relativistically transparent plasmas

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