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

Abstract

We present the first laboratory observations of time-resolved electron and ion velocity distributions in magnetized collisionless shock precursors. Thomson scattering of a probe laser beam was used to observe the interaction of a laser-driven, supersonic piston plasma expanding through an ambient plasma in an external magnetic field. From the Thomson-scattered spectra we measure time-resolved profiles of electron density, temperature, and ion flow speed, as well as spatially resolved magnetic fields from proton radiography. We observe direct evidence of the coupling between piston and ambient plasmas, including the acceleration of ambient ions driven by magnetic and pressure gradient electric fields, and deformation of the piston ion flow, key steps in the formation of magnetized collisionless shocks. Even before a shock has fully formed, we observe strong density compressions and electron heating associated with the pileup of piston ions. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that laboratory experiments can probe particle velocity distributions relevant to collisionless shocks, and can complement, and in some cases overcome, the limitations of similar measurements undertaken by spacecraft missions.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [1];  [2];  [6]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States)
  2. Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States); Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
  3. Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States)
  4. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
  5. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
  6. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States); Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) (SC-24); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) (SC-21)
OSTI Identifier:
1543244
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1546406
Grant/Contract Number:  
NA0003613; FG03-09NA29553; AC05-00OR22725; SC0008655; SC0016249
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 122; Journal Issue: 24; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; Laboratory astrophysics; collisionless shocks; magnetized plasmas; Thomson scattering

Citation Formats

Schaeffer, Derek B., Fox, W., Follett, R. K., Fiksel, G., Li, C. K., Matteucci, J., Bhattacharjee, A., and Germaschewski, K. Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.245001.
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Schaeffer, Derek B., Fox, W., Follett, R. K., Fiksel, G., Li, C. K., Matteucci, J., Bhattacharjee, A., & Germaschewski, K. Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas. United States. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.245001.
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Schaeffer, Derek B., Fox, W., Follett, R. K., Fiksel, G., Li, C. K., Matteucci, J., Bhattacharjee, A., and Germaschewski, K. Fri . "Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas". United States. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.245001.
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@article{osti_1543244,
title = {Direct Observations of Particle Dynamics in Magnetized Collisionless Shock Precursors in Laser-Produced Plasmas},
author = {Schaeffer, Derek B. and Fox, W. and Follett, R. K. and Fiksel, G. and Li, C. K. and Matteucci, J. and Bhattacharjee, A. and Germaschewski, K.},
abstractNote = {We present the first laboratory observations of time-resolved electron and ion velocity distributions in magnetized collisionless shock precursors. Thomson scattering of a probe laser beam was used to observe the interaction of a laser-driven, supersonic piston plasma expanding through an ambient plasma in an external magnetic field. From the Thomson-scattered spectra we measure time-resolved profiles of electron density, temperature, and ion flow speed, as well as spatially resolved magnetic fields from proton radiography. We observe direct evidence of the coupling between piston and ambient plasmas, including the acceleration of ambient ions driven by magnetic and pressure gradient electric fields, and deformation of the piston ion flow, key steps in the formation of magnetized collisionless shocks. Even before a shock has fully formed, we observe strong density compressions and electron heating associated with the pileup of piston ions. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that laboratory experiments can probe particle velocity distributions relevant to collisionless shocks, and can complement, and in some cases overcome, the limitations of similar measurements undertaken by spacecraft missions.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.245001},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 24,
volume = 122,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {6}
}
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DOI:  10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.245001
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