Hard x-ray bursts observed in association with Rayleigh-Taylor instigated current disruption in a solar-relevant lab experiment

Marshall, R. S.; Flynn, M. J.; Bellan, P. M.

doi:10.1063/1.5054927

Hard x-ray bursts observed in association with Rayleigh-Taylor instigated current disruption in a solar-relevant lab experiment

Journal Article · 01 November 2018 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5054927· OSTI ID:1491998

^[1]; Flynn, M. J. ^[1]; ^[1]

Applied Physics and Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA

Measurements by multiple X-ray detectors show transient emission of a 1 ls pulse of non-monoenergetic ~6 keV X-rays by a cold, dense MHD-driven plasma jet. Because the collision mean free path is much smaller than the jet dimensions, the acceleration of particles to high energy was not expected. The X-ray pulse occurs when the jet undergoes a kink instability which accelerates the jet laterally so that a fast-growing secondary Rayleigh-Taylor instability is triggered which then breaks the jet. The jet breaking is correlated in time with several other fast changing phenomena. It is proposed that despite the short collision mean free path, an inductive electric field associated with this breaking accelerates a certain subgroup of electrons to keV energies without any of these electrons undergoing collisions. It is further proposed that after being accelerated to high energy, these fast electrons are suddenly decelerated via collisions and radiate X-rays.

Research Organization:: California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)

DOE Contract Number:: FG02-04ER54755

OSTI ID:: 1491998

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 25, Issue 11; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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