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Title: Channel optimization of high-intensity laser beams in millimeter-scale plasmas

Journal Article · · Physical Review E
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [8]
  1. Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom). Dept. of Physics and Clarendon Lab.; Univ. of Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA (France). Intensive Lasers Center and Applications (CELIA)
  2. Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom). Dept. of Physics and Clarendon Lab.
  3. Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom). Dept. of Physics and Clarendon Lab.; Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Lab. (RAL), Chilton (United Kingdom)
  4. Osaka Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Engineering
  5. Osaka Univ. (Japan). Graduate School of Engineering; Horia Hulubei National Inst. of Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), Magurele (Romania). Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP)
  6. Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  7. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
  8. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics
  9. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Channeling experiments were performed at the OMEGA EP facility using relativistic intensity (> 1018 W/cm2) kilojoule laser pulses through large density scale length (~ 390-570 μm) laser-produced plasmas, demonstrating the effects of the pulse’s focal location and intensity as well as the plasma’s temperature on the resulting channel formation. The results show deeper channeling when focused into hot plasmas and at lower densities as expected. However, contrary to previous large scale particle-in-cell studies, the results also indicate deeper penetration by short (10 ps), intense pulses compared to their longer duration equivalents. To conclude, this new observation has many implications for future laser-plasma research in the relativistic regime.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); OSIRIS consortium; Advanced Research Computing High End Resource (ARCHER) National Supercomputing Service (United Kingdom); EUROfusion Consortium; European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom); European Commission (EC); Plasma High-end Computing (HEC) Consortium; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0001944; SC0014666; 15H05751-70171741; 633053; EP/L00023711
OSTI ID:
1434591
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1434182
Report Number(s):
2016-261, 1393; PLEEE8; 2016-261, 1393, 2351; TRN: US1802345
Journal Information:
Physical Review E, Vol. 97, Issue 4; ISSN 2470-0045
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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