Experimental evidence of nonthermal acceleration of relativistic electrons by an intensive laser pulse

Journal Article · Tue Feb 15 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVE.83.026401· OSTI ID:21560030

Kuramitsu, Y; Sakawa, Y; Takeda, K; Tampo, M; Takabe, H ^[1]; Nakanii, N; Kondo, K; Tsuji, K; Kimura, K; Fukumochi, S; Kashihara, M; Tanimoto, T; Nakamura, H; Ishikura, T; Kodama, R; Mima, K; Tanaka, K A ^[1]; Mori, Y ^[1]; Miura, E ^[2]; Kitagawa, Y ^[3]

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1. Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan)
2. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)
3. The Graduate School for the Creation of New Photonics Industries, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-1202 (Japan)

Nonthermal acceleration of relativistic electrons is investigated with an intensive laser pulse. An energy distribution function of energetic particles in the universe or cosmic rays is well represented by a power-law spectrum, therefore, nonthermal acceleration is essential to understand the origin of cosmic rays. A possible candidate for the origin of cosmic rays is wakefield acceleration at relativistic astrophysical perpendicular shocks. The wakefield is considered to be excited by large-amplitude precursor light waves in the upstream of the shocks. Substituting an intensive laser pulse for the large amplitude light waves, we performed a model experiment of the shock environments in a laboratory plasma. An intensive laser pulse was propagated in a plasma tube created by imploding a hollow polystyrene cylinder, as the large amplitude light waves propagated in the upstream plasma at an astrophysical shock. Nonthermal electrons were generated, and the energy distribution functions of the electrons have a power-law component with an index of {approx}2. We described the detailed procedures to obtain the nonthermal components from data obtained by an electron spectrometer.

• OSTI ID: 21560030
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print), Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics (Print) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 83; ISSN 1539-3755
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ACCELERATION
ASTROPHYSICS
COSMIC RADIATION
CYLINDERS
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON SPECTROMETERS
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
FERMIONS
FUNCTIONS
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LASERS
LEPTONS
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PARTICLES
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PHYSICS
PLASMA
PLASTICS
POLYMERS
POLYOLEFINS
POLYSTYRENE
POLYVINYLS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPECTRA
SPECTROMETERS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
VISIBLE RADIATION