Intense laser pulse propagation and channel formation through plasmas relevant for the fast ignitor scheme

Journal Article · Sat May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.873470· OSTI ID:344949

Mackinnon, A J; Borghesi, M; Gaillard, R; Malka, G; Willi, O ^[1]; Offenberger, A A ^[2]; Pukhov, A; Meyer-ter-Vehn, J ^[3]; Canaud, B ^[4]; Miquel, J L; Blanchot, N ^[5]

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1. The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom)
2. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2G7 (Canada)
3. Max Planck Institut fuer Quantenoptik, D-85478 Garching (Germany)
4. Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique/DAM Ile-de-France, F-91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel (France)
5. Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique, Limeil-Valenton, F-94195 Villeneuve St. George (France)

Measurements of self-channeling of picosecond laser pulses due to relativistic and ponderomotive expulsion effects have been obtained in preformed plasmas at laser irradiances between 5{endash}9{times}10{sup 18} Wcm{sup {minus}2}. The self-focused channel was surrounded by a multi-megagauss magnetic field. The orientation of the field was consistent with a forward going relativistic electron beam propagating along the laser pulse. Self-channeling and magnetic field generation mechanisms were modeled by multidimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations and good agreement was obtained with the experimental observations. Measurements of the channel expansion after the interaction were obtained and the rate of expansion was consistent with a blast wave solution. The level of transmission of an intense laser pulse through such performed density channels was observed to increase significantly compared to the case without a channel. High levels of transmission of an intense laser pulse through microtubes were also observed. The relevance of these results to the fast ignitor is discussed. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 344949
• Report Number(s): CONF-981127--
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 6; ISSN PHPAEN; ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
BEAM-PLASMA SYSTEMS
ELECTRON BEAMS
IGNITION
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER RADIATION
PLASMA SIMULATION
RELATIVISTIC PLASMA
THERMONUCLEAR IGNITION