Resonant evolution of the current filamentation (Weibel) instability in the relativistic regime

Journal Article · Fri Apr 07 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2195196· OSTI ID:20798488

Califano, F; Pegoraro, F; Del Sarto, D ^[1]; CNISM, ^[2]

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1. Dept. of Physics, University of Pisa (Italy)
2. Italy

Fast relativistic particles generated by an ultra strong laser pulse interacting with an overdense plasma, are the source of strong quasi-static magnetic fields. The physical mechanism underlying this process is known as the current filamentation (Weibel) instability which is an electromagnetic instability driven by the electron momentum anisotropy. Here we investigate the development of this instability in the fluid, relativistic, collisionless regime in the case of beams with a finite transverse size. We show that the development of a spatially resonant mode plays a key role in determining the kind of magnetic structure generated during the evolution of the instability.

• OSTI ID: 20798488
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 827, Issue 1; Conference: 3. international conference on superstrong fields in plasmas, Varenna (Italy), 19-24 Sep 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2195196; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANISOTROPY
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRONS
LASERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PULSES
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
RELATIVISTIC RANGE