Biermann-Battery-Driven Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas

Johnson, Timothy M.; Sutcliffe, Graeme D.; Pearcy, J. A.; Birkel, A.; Rigon, G.; Kabadi, N. V.; Lahmann, B.; Adrian, P. J.; Reichelt, B. L.; Kunimune, J. H.; Dannhoff, S. G.; Cufari, M.; Li, C. K.; Tsung, F.; Chen, Hui; Katz, J.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.125101

Biermann-Battery-Driven Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas

Journal Article · Tue Mar 25 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.125101· OSTI ID:2585355

^[1]; Sutcliffe, Graeme D. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Kabadi, N. V. ^[1]; Lahmann, B. ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Tsung, F. ^[2]; Chen, Hui ^[3]; Katz, J. ^[4]; ^[5]

Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Univ. of Bordeaux, CNRS, CEA, Talence (France); Czech Academy of Sciences, Dolní B˘re˘zany (Czech Republic)

This Letter reports the first complete observation of magnetized collisionless shock precursors formed through the compression of Biermann-battery magnetic fields in laser produced plasmas. At OMEGA, lasers produce a supersonic CH plasma flow which is magnetized with Biermann-battery magnetic fields. The plasma flow collides with an unmagnetized hydrogen gas jet plasma to create a magnetized shock precursor. The situation where the flowing plasma carries the magnetic field is similar to the Venusian bow shock. Imaging 2⁢𝜔 Thomson scattering confirms that the interaction is collisionless and shows density and temperature jumps. Proton radiographs have regions of strong deflections and FLASH magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations show the presence of Biermann fields in the Thomson scattering region. Electrons are accelerated to energies of up to 100 keV in a power-law spectrum. Here, OSIRIS particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, initialized with measured parameters, show the formation of a magnetized shock precursor and corroborate the experimental observables.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-91ER54109; NA0003868; NA0003938; NA0004129

OSTI ID:: 2585355

Report Number(s):: LLNL--JRNL-2007200

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 134; ISSN 1079-7114; ISSN 0031-9007

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (45)

Physics of Collisionless Shocks Balogh, André; Treumann, Rudolf A. ISSI Scientific Report Series (ISSI) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6099-2	book	January 2013
The solar wind interaction with Venus Luhmann, J. G. Space Science Reviews, Vol. 44, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00200818	journal	January 1986
Fundamentals of collisionless shocks for astrophysical application, 1. Non-relativistic shocks Treumann, R. A. The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review, Vol. 17, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00159-009-0024-2	journal	September 2009
Studying astrophysical collisionless shocks with counterstreaming plasmas from high power lasers Park, Hye-Sook; Ryutov, D. D.; Ross, J. S. High Energy Density Physics, Vol. 8, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2011.11.001	journal	March 2012
FLASH MHD simulations of experiments that study shock-generated magnetic fields Tzeferacos, P.; Fatenejad, M.; Flocke, N. High Energy Density Physics, Vol. 17 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2014.11.003	journal	December 2015
The solar wind interaction with Venus through the eyes of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter Russell, C. T.; Luhmann, J. G.; Strangeway, R. J. Planetary and Space Science, Vol. 54, Issue 13-14 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2006.04.025	journal	November 2006
Proton imaging of stochastic magnetic fields Bott, A. F. A.; Graziani, C.; Tzeferacos, P. Journal of Plasma Physics, Vol. 83, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022377817000939	journal	December 2017
ISEE‐1 observations of electrostatic shocks on auroral zone field lines between 2.5 and 7 Earth radii Mozer, F. S. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 8, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1029/GL008i007p00823	journal	July 1981
A fast Fermi process: Energetic electrons accelerated by a nearly perpendicular bow shock Wu, C. S. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 89, Issue A10 https://doi.org/10.1029/JA089iA10p08857	journal	January 1984
Observation of magnetic field generation via the Weibel instability in interpenetrating plasma flows Huntington, C. M.; Fiuza, F.; Ross, J. S. Nature Physics, Vol. 11, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3178	journal	January 2015
Laboratory evidence for proton energization by collisionless shock surfing Yao, W.; Fazzini, A.; Chen, S. N. Nature Physics, Vol. 17, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-021-01325-w	journal	August 2021
Monoenergetic proton backlighter for measuring E and B fields and for radiographing implosions and high-energy density plasmas (invited) Li, C. K.; Séguin, F. H.; Frenje, J. A. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 77, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2228252	journal	October 2006
Absolute calibration of image plates for electrons at energy between 100keV and 4MeV Chen, Hui; Back, Norman L.; Bartal, Teresa Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 79, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2885045	journal	March 2008
High performance compact magnetic spectrometers for energetic ion and electron measurement in ultraintense short pulse laser solid interactions Chen, Hui; Link, Anthony J.; van Maren, Roger Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 79, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2953679	journal	October 2008
Electrostatic and electromagnetic instabilities associated with electrostatic shocks: Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation Kato, Tsunehiko N.; Takabe, Hideaki Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3372138	journal	March 2010
Characterizing counter-streaming interpenetrating plasmas relevant to astrophysical collisionless shocks Ross, J. S.; Glenzer, S. H.; Amendt, P. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 19, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3694124	journal	May 2012
A reflective optical transport system for ultraviolet Thomson scattering from electron plasma waves on OMEGA Katz, J.; Boni, R.; Sorce, C. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 83, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4733551	journal	October 2012
Invited Article: Relation between electric and magnetic field structures and their proton-beam images Kugland, N. L.; Ryutov, D. D.; Plechaty, C. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 83, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4750234	journal	October 2012
Collisionless shock experiments with lasers and observation of Weibel instabilitiesa) Park, H. -S.; Huntington, C. M.; Fiuza, F. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4920959	journal	May 2015
Hybrid-PIC modeling of laser-plasma interactions and hot electron generation in gold hohlraum walls Thoma, C.; Welch, D. R.; Clark, R. E. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 24, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4985314	journal	June 2017
Full particle-in-cell simulation of the interaction between two plasmas for laboratory experiments on the generation of magnetized collisionless shocks with high-power lasers Umeda, Takayuki; Yamazaki, Ryo; Ohira, Yutaka Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5079906	journal	March 2019
Kinetic simulations of piston-driven collisionless shock formation in magnetized laboratory plasmas Schaeffer, D. B.; Fox, W.; Matteucci, J. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 27, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5123229	journal	April 2020
Mildly relativistic collisionless shock formed by magnetic piston Moreno, Q.; Araudo, A.; Korneev, Ph. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 27, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5144683	journal	December 2020
Theory and simulation of one-dimensional Raman backward and forward scattering Estabrook, Kent Physics of Fluids, Vol. 26, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.864336	journal	January 1983
Experimental observations of detached bow shock formation in the interaction of a laser-produced plasma with a magnetized obstacle Levesque, Joseph M.; Liao, Andy S.; Hartigan, Patrick Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 29, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0062254	journal	January 2022
Collisionless electrostatic shock generation using high-energy laser systems Sakawa, Y.; Morita, T.; Kuramitsu, Y. Advances in Physics: X, Vol. 1, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/23746149.2016.1213660	journal	May 2016
Generation of Magnetic Fields in the Relativistic Shock of Gamma‐Ray Burst Sources Medvedev, Mikhail V.; Loeb, Abraham The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 526, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/308038	journal	December 1999
Criteria for Scaled Laboratory Simulations of Astrophysical MHD Phenomena Ryutov, D. D.; Drake, R. P.; Remington, B. A. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, Vol. 127, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/313320	journal	April 2000
FLASH: An Adaptive Mesh Hydrodynamics Code for Modeling Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes Fryxell, B.; Olson, K.; Ricker, P. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, Vol. 131, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1086/317361	journal	November 2000
Electron Accelerations at high mach Number Shocks: Two-Dimensional Particle-In-Cell Simulations in Various Parameter Regimes Matsumoto, Yosuke; Amano, Takanobu; Hoshino, Masahiro The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 755, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/755/2/109	journal	August 2012
Bow Shock Fragmentation Driven by a Thermal Instability in Laboratory Astrophysics Experiments Suzuki-Vidal, F.; Lebedev, S. V.; Ciardi, A. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 815, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/815/2/96	journal	December 2015
A reflective image-rotating periscope for spatially resolved Thomson-scattering experiments on OMEGA Katz, J.; Ross, J. S.; Sorce, C. Journal of Instrumentation, Vol. 8, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/8/12/C12009	journal	December 2013
The acceleration of cosmic rays in shock fronts - I Bell, A. R. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 182, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/182.2.147	journal	February 1978
Cosmic Radiation and Cosmic Magnetic Fields. II. Origin of Cosmic Magnetic Fields Biermann, Ludwig; Schlüter, Arnulf Physical Review, Vol. 82, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.82.863	journal	June 1951
High-power laser experiment forming a supercritical collisionless shock in a magnetized uniform plasma at rest Yamazaki, R.; Matsukiyo, S.; Morita, T. Physical Review E, Vol. 105, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.105.025203	journal	February 2022
Monoenergetic-Proton-Radiography Measurements of Implosion Dynamics in Direct-Drive Inertial-Confinement Fusion Li, C. K.; Séguin, F. H.; Rygg, J. R. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 22 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.225001	journal	June 2008
Generation and Evolution of High-Mach-Number Laser-Driven Magnetized Collisionless Shocks in the Laboratory Schaeffer, D. B.; Fox, W.; Haberberger, D. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 119, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.025001	journal	July 2017
Picosecond Thermodynamics in Underdense Plasmas Measured with Thomson Scattering Davies, A. S.; Haberberger, D.; Katz, J. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 122, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.155001	journal	April 2019
Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas Schaeffer, D. B.; Fox, W.; Follett, R. K. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 122, Issue 24 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.245001	journal	June 2019
Collisionless Shocks Driven by Supersonic Plasma Flows with Self-Generated Magnetic Fields Li, C. K.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.; Moreno, Q. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 123, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.055002	journal	July 2019
Spontaneously Growing Transverse Waves in a Plasma Due to an Anisotropic Velocity Distribution Weibel, Erich S. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 2, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.2.83	journal	February 1959
Formation and Structure of Electrostatic Collisionless Shocks Forslund, D. W.; Shonk, C. R. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 25, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.25.1699	journal	December 1970
Plasma Expansion into a Vacuum Mora, P. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.185002	journal	May 2003
Detection of the Characteristic Pion-Decay Signature in Supernova Remnants Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Allafort, A. Science, Vol. 339, Issue 6121 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1231160	journal	February 2013
Solar Wind Model Supported by Parker Solar Probe Observations During Faint Venusian Auroral Emission Kovac, Sarah A.; Gray, Candace; Arge, C. Nick The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 929, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac58f4	journal	April 2022

Similar Records

Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas

Journal Article · Thu Jun 20 20:00:00 EDT 2019 · Physical Review Letters · OSTI ID:1543244

The Biermann catastrophe in numerical magnetohydrodynamics

Journal Article · Fri Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astrophysical Journal · OSTI ID:22882608

Kinetic simulation of magnetic field generation and collisionless shock formation in expanding laboratory plasmas

Journal Article · Sun Oct 07 20:00:00 EDT 2018 · Physics of Plasmas · OSTI ID:1476877

Related Subjects

High-energy-density plasmas
Laboratory studies of space & astrophysical plasmas
Magnetohydrodynamic techniques
Particle-in-cell methods
Planetary bow shock

Biermann-Battery-Driven Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas

Citation Formats

References (45)

Similar Records

Related Subjects