Intense laser-driven relativistic electron beams in a two-layer target
- Center for Applied Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)
An intense short-pulse laser irradiates solid targets to produce relativistic electrons by depositing the light energy at the relativistic critical density. These fast electrons propagating through a coaxial two-layer plasma target can generate tens of million-Gauss interface magnetic fields at the material interfaces. The present hybrid fluid-particle-in-cell simulations clearly show that the strong interface magnetic field can completely change the direction of the beam electron, and considerably reduce the divergence of the energetic beam electrons. The microscopic turbulent magnetic fields can furthermore result in the complex beam-electron behavior. Since the beam electrons deposit their energy through the return current and heat the plasma, the beam concentration in the high-Z plasma layer therefore leads to more uniform heating in the inner layer of the target.
- OSTI ID:
- 21259737
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3039947; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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