Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner

doi:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2768933

Title: Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner

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Abstract

A new laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism has been identified in particle-in-cell simulations of high-contrast-ratio ultraintense lasers with very thin (10 s of nm) solid targets [Yin et al., Laser and Particle Beams 24, 291 (2006); Yin et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 072701 (2007)]. After a brief period of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), 'enhanced' TNSA follows. In this stage, the laser rapidly heats all the electrons in the target as the target thickness becomes comparable to the skin depth and enhanced acceleration of the ions results. Then, concomitant with the laser penetrating the target, a large accelerating longitudinal electric field is generated that co-moves with the ions. This last phase has been termed the laser 'breakout afterburner' (BOA). Earlier work suggested that the BOA was associated with the Buneman instability that efficiently converts energy from the drift of the electrons into the ions. In this Brief Communication, this conjecture is found to be consistent with particle-in-cell simulation data and the analytic dispersion relation for the relativistic Buneman instability.

Authors:

Albright, B J; Yin, L; Bowers, Kevin J; Hegelich, B M; Flippo, K A; Kwan, T J. T.; Fernandez, J C ^[1]

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Publication Date:: 2007-09-15

OSTI Identifier:: 21069860

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Physics of Plasmas

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 9; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2768933; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ACCELERATION; AFTERBURNERS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DISPERSION RELATIONS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ELECTRONS; IONS; LASERS; PLASMA HEATING; PLASMA INSTABILITY; PLASMA PRODUCTION; PLASMA SHEATH; PLASMA SIMULATION; RELATIVISTIC PLASMA

Citation Formats


                    Albright, B J, Yin, L, Bowers, Kevin J, Hegelich, B M, Flippo, K A, Kwan, T J. T., and Fernandez, J C. Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner.  United States: N. p., 2007. 
        Web.  doi:10.1063/1.2768933.

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                    Albright, B J, Yin, L, Bowers, Kevin J, Hegelich, B M, Flippo, K A, Kwan, T J. T., & Fernandez, J C. Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2768933

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                    Albright, B J, Yin, L, Bowers, Kevin J, Hegelich, B M, Flippo, K A, Kwan, T J. T., and Fernandez, J C. Sat .  
        "Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2768933.

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@article{osti_21069860,

  title        = {Relativistic Buneman instability in the laser breakout afterburner},

  author       = {Albright, B J and Yin, L and Bowers, Kevin J and Hegelich, B M and Flippo, K A and Kwan, T J. T. and Fernandez, J C},

  abstractNote = {A new laser-driven ion acceleration mechanism has been identified in particle-in-cell simulations of high-contrast-ratio ultraintense lasers with very thin (10 s of nm) solid targets [Yin et al., Laser and Particle Beams 24, 291 (2006); Yin et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 072701 (2007)]. After a brief period of target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), 'enhanced' TNSA follows. In this stage, the laser rapidly heats all the electrons in the target as the target thickness becomes comparable to the skin depth and enhanced acceleration of the ions results. Then, concomitant with the laser penetrating the target, a large accelerating longitudinal electric field is generated that co-moves with the ions. This last phase has been termed the laser 'breakout afterburner' (BOA). Earlier work suggested that the BOA was associated with the Buneman instability that efficiently converts energy from the drift of the electrons into the ions. In this Brief Communication, this conjecture is found to be consistent with particle-in-cell simulation data and the analytic dispersion relation for the relativistic Buneman instability.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.2768933},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21069860},
  journal      = {Physics of Plasmas},

  issn         = {1070-664X},

  number       = 9,

  volume       = 14,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2007},

  month        = {9}

}

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