High e+/e– ratio dense pair creation with 1021W.cm–2 laser irradiating solid targets

Liang, E.; Clarke, T.; Henderson, A.; Fu, W.; Lo, W.; Taylor, D.; Chaguine, P.; Zhou, S.; Hua, Y.; Cen, X.; Wang, X.; Kao, J.; Hasson, H.; Dyer, G.; Serratto, K.; Riley, N.; Donovan, M.; Ditmire, T.

doi:10.1038/srep13968

Title: High e+/e– ratio dense pair creation with 10²¹W.cm^–2 laser irradiating solid targets

Journal Article · Mon Sep 14 04:00:00 UTC 2015 · Scientific Reports

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13968 · OSTI ID:1325563

Liang, E. ^[1]; Clarke, T. ^[2]; Henderson, A. ^[2]; Fu, W. ^[2]; Lo, W. ^[2]; Taylor, D. ^[2]; Chaguine, P. ^[2]; Zhou, S. ^[2]; Hua, Y. ^[2]; Cen, X. ^[2]; Wang, X. ^[2]; Kao, J. ^[2]; Hasson, H. ^[3]; Dyer, G. ^[4]; Serratto, K. ^[4]; Riley, N. ^[4]; Donovan, M. ^[4]; Ditmire, T. ^[4]

Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Rice University
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)
Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

In this study, we report results of new pair creation experiments using ~100 Joule pulses of the Texas Petawatt Laser to irradiate solid gold and platinum targets, with intensities up to ~1.9 × 10²¹ W.cm^–2 and pulse durations as short as ~130 fs. Positron to electron (e+/e–) ratios >15% were observed for many thick disk and rod targets, with the highest e+/e– ratio reaching ~50% for a Pt rod. The inferred pair yield was ~ few ×10¹⁰ with emerging pair density reaching ~10¹⁵/cm³ so that the pair skin depth becomes < pair jet transverse size. These results represent major milestones towards the goal of creating a significant quantity of dense pair-dominated plasmas with e+/e– approaching 100% and pair skin depth << pair plasma size, which will have wide-ranging applications to astrophysics and fundamental physics.

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Research Organization:: Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0001481

OSTI ID:: 1325563

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Journal Name: Scientific Reports Vol. 5; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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High-energy radiation and pair production by Coulomb processes in particle-in-cell simulations Martinez, B.; Lobet, M.; Duclous, R. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5118339	journal	October 2019
Spectral and spatial characterisation of laser-driven positron beams Sarri, G.; Warwick, J.; Schumaker, W. Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 59, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/59/1/014015	journal	October 2016
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Scaling laws for positron production in laser–electron-beam collisions Blackburn, T. G.; Ilderton, A.; Murphy, C. D. Physical Review A, Vol. 96, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.96.022128	journal	August 2017
Experimental Observation of a Current-Driven Instability in a Neutral Electron-Positron Beam Warwick, J.; Dzelzainis, T.; Dieckmann, M. E. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 119, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.119.185002	journal	November 2017
Polarized Positron Beams via Intense Two-Color Laser Pulses Chen, Yue-Yue; He, Pei-Lun; Shaisultanov, Rashid Physical Review Letters, Vol. 123, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.123.174801	journal	October 2019
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