Laboratory investigation of particle acceleration and magnetic field compression in collisionless colliding fast plasma flows
Abstract
In many natural phenomena in space (cosmic-rays, fast winds), non-thermal ion populations are produced, with wave-particle interactions in self-induced electromagnetic turbulence being suspected to be mediators. However, the processes by which the electromagnetic energy is bestowed upon the particles is debated, and in some cases requires field compression. Here we show that laboratory experiments using high-power lasers and external strong magnetic field can be used to infer magnetic field compression in the interpenetration of two collisionless, high-velocity (0.01–0.1c) quasi-neutral plasma flows. This is evidenced through observed plasma stagnation at the flows collision point, which Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations suggest to be the signature of magnetic field compression into a thin layer, followed by its dislocation into magnetic vortices. Acceleration of protons from the plasma collision is observed as well. As a possible scenario, with 1D and 2D PIC simulations we consider a compression of the vortices against dense plasma remnants.
- Authors:
-
more »
- Sorbonne Univ., Palaiseau Cedex (France); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- National Research Nuclear Univ. MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation); P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute (LPI), Moscow (Russian Federation)
- Sorbonne Univ., Palaiseau Cedex (France); CEA, DAM, DIF, Arpajon (France)
- Inst. of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brezany (Czech Republic)
- LNCMI, Toulouse (France)
- Sorbonne Univ., Palaiseau Cedex (France); “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Bucharest-Magurele (Romania)
- Sorbonne Univ., Palaiseau Cedex (France)
- CEA, DAM, DIF, Arpajon (France)
- INRS-EMT, Varennes, QC (Canada)
- National Research Nuclear Univ. MEPhI, Moscow (Russian Federation); Joint Inst. for High Temperatures, Moscow (Russian Federation)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Inst. of Applied Physics, Novgorod (Russian Federation)
- Inst. of Physics Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolni Brezany (Czech Republic); Univ. of Bordeaux, Talence (France)
- Univ. of Bordeaux, Talence (France)
- Sorbonne Univ., Palaiseau Cedex (France); Inst. of Applied Physics, Novgorod (Russian Federation)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1568022
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-744001
Journal ID: ISSN 2399-3650; 898765; TRN: US2001133
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Communications Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 2; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2399-3650
- Publisher:
- Springer Nature
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Citation Formats
Higginson, D. P., Korneev, Ph., Ruyer, C., Riquier, R., Moreno, Q., Béard, J., Chen, S. N., Grassi, A., Grech, M., Gremillet, L., Pépin, H., Perez, F., Pikuz, S., Pollock, B., Riconda, C., Shepherd, R., Starodubtsev, M., Tikhonchuk, V., Vinci, T., d’Humières, E., and Fuchs, J.. Laboratory investigation of particle acceleration and magnetic field compression in collisionless colliding fast plasma flows. United States: N. p., 2019.
Web. doi:10.1038/s42005-019-0160-6.
Higginson, D. P., Korneev, Ph., Ruyer, C., Riquier, R., Moreno, Q., Béard, J., Chen, S. N., Grassi, A., Grech, M., Gremillet, L., Pépin, H., Perez, F., Pikuz, S., Pollock, B., Riconda, C., Shepherd, R., Starodubtsev, M., Tikhonchuk, V., Vinci, T., d’Humières, E., & Fuchs, J.. Laboratory investigation of particle acceleration and magnetic field compression in collisionless colliding fast plasma flows. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-019-0160-6
Higginson, D. P., Korneev, Ph., Ruyer, C., Riquier, R., Moreno, Q., Béard, J., Chen, S. N., Grassi, A., Grech, M., Gremillet, L., Pépin, H., Perez, F., Pikuz, S., Pollock, B., Riconda, C., Shepherd, R., Starodubtsev, M., Tikhonchuk, V., Vinci, T., d’Humières, E., and Fuchs, J.. Thu .
"Laboratory investigation of particle acceleration and magnetic field compression in collisionless colliding fast plasma flows". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-019-0160-6. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1568022.
@article{osti_1568022,
title = {Laboratory investigation of particle acceleration and magnetic field compression in collisionless colliding fast plasma flows},
author = {Higginson, D. P. and Korneev, Ph. and Ruyer, C. and Riquier, R. and Moreno, Q. and Béard, J. and Chen, S. N. and Grassi, A. and Grech, M. and Gremillet, L. and Pépin, H. and Perez, F. and Pikuz, S. and Pollock, B. and Riconda, C. and Shepherd, R. and Starodubtsev, M. and Tikhonchuk, V. and Vinci, T. and d’Humières, E. and Fuchs, J.},
abstractNote = {In many natural phenomena in space (cosmic-rays, fast winds), non-thermal ion populations are produced, with wave-particle interactions in self-induced electromagnetic turbulence being suspected to be mediators. However, the processes by which the electromagnetic energy is bestowed upon the particles is debated, and in some cases requires field compression. Here we show that laboratory experiments using high-power lasers and external strong magnetic field can be used to infer magnetic field compression in the interpenetration of two collisionless, high-velocity (0.01–0.1c) quasi-neutral plasma flows. This is evidenced through observed plasma stagnation at the flows collision point, which Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations suggest to be the signature of magnetic field compression into a thin layer, followed by its dislocation into magnetic vortices. Acceleration of protons from the plasma collision is observed as well. As a possible scenario, with 1D and 2D PIC simulations we consider a compression of the vortices against dense plasma remnants.},
doi = {10.1038/s42005-019-0160-6},
journal = {Communications Physics},
number = 1,
volume = 2,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {6}
}
Web of Science
Figures / Tables:

Works referenced in this record:
Simultaneous Acceleration of Protons and Electrons at Nonrelativistic Quasiparallel Collisionless Shocks
journal, February 2015
- Park, Jaehong; Caprioli, Damiano; Spitkovsky, Anatoly
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 114, Issue 8
XL. Cathode Rays
journal, October 1897
- Thomson, J. J.
- The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science, Vol. 44, Issue 269
Dynamics and structure of self-generated magnetics fields on solids following high contrast, high intensity laser irradiation
journal, December 2015
- Albertazzi, B.; Chen, S. N.; Antici, P.
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 22, Issue 12
Dynamics of Self-Generated, Large Amplitude Magnetic Fields Following High-Intensity Laser Matter Interaction
journal, November 2012
- Sarri, G.; Macchi, A.; Cecchetti, C. A.
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 109, Issue 20
Twisted Magnetic flux Tubes in the Solar wind
journal, February 2014
- Zaqarashvili, Teimuraz V.; Vörös, Zoltán; Narita, Yasuhito
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 783, Issue 1
On the Magnetic Fields and Particle Acceleration in Cassiopeia A
journal, February 2003
- Vink, Jacco; Laming, J. Martin
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 584, Issue 2
On particle acceleration and trapping by Poynting flux dominated flows
journal, October 2005
- Paesold, G.; Blackman, E. G.; Messmer, P.
- Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Vol. 47, Issue 11
Characterization of proton and heavier ion acceleration in ultrahigh-intensity laser interactions with heated target foils
journal, September 2004
- McKenna, P.; Ledingham, K. W. D.; Yang, J. M.
- Physical Review E, Vol. 70, Issue 3
3d mhd Modeling of Twisted Coronal Loops
journal, October 2016
- Reale, F.; Orlando, S.; Guarrasi, M.
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 830, Issue 1
Energetic proton generation in ultra-intense laser–solid interactions
journal, February 2001
- Wilks, S. C.; Langdon, A. B.; Cowan, T. E.
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 8, Issue 2, p. 542-549
Nonrelativistic Collisionless Shocks in Weakly Magnetized Electron-Ion Plasmas: Two-Dimensional Particle-In-Cell Simulation of Perpendicular Shock
journal, September 2010
- Kato, Tsunehiko N.; Takabe, Hideaki
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 721, Issue 1
Interaction of high Mach-number shocks in laser-produced plasmas
journal, March 2013
- Morita, T.; Sakawa, Y.; Kuramitsu, Y.
- High Energy Density Physics, Vol. 9, Issue 1
Hot and Cold Electron Dynamics Following High-Intensity Laser Matter Interaction
journal, September 2008
- Antici, P.; Fuchs, J.; Borghesi, M.
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 101, Issue 10
Transition from Collisional to Collisionless Regimes in Interpenetrating Plasma Flows on the National Ignition Facility
journal, May 2017
- Ross, J. S.; Higginson, D. P.; Ryutov, D.
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 118, Issue 18
Passive tailoring of laser-accelerated ion beam cut-off energy by using double foil assembly
journal, February 2014
- Chen, S. N.; Robinson, A. P. L.; Antici, P.
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 2
Picosecond metrology of laser-driven proton bursts
journal, February 2016
- Dromey, B.; Coughlan, M.; Senje, L.
- Nature Communications, Vol. 7, Issue 1
Magnetically Induced Collisionless Coupling between Counterstreaming Laser-Produced Plasmas
journal, August 1973
- Cheung, Augustine Y.; Goforth, R. R.; Koopman, David W.
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 31, Issue 7
Collisionless plasma interpenetration in a strong magnetic field for laboratory astrophysics experiments
journal, February 2014
- Korneev, Ph.; d'Humières, E.; Tikhonchuk, V.
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 2
Extreme Particle Acceleration in Magnetic Reconnection Layers: Application to the Gamma-Ray Flares in the crab Nebula
journal, February 2012
- Cerutti, Benoît; Uzdensky, Dmitri A.; Begelman, Mitchell C.
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 746, Issue 2
Numerical simulations of energy transfer in counter-streaming plasmas
journal, March 2013
- Davis, S. P.; Capdessus, R.; d'Humières, E.
- High Energy Density Physics, Vol. 9, Issue 1
Mediation of the solar wind termination shock by non-thermal ions
journal, July 2008
- Decker, R. B.; Krimigis, S. M.; Roelof, E. C.
- Nature, Vol. 454, Issue 7200
A novel platform to study magnetized high-velocity collisionless shocks
journal, December 2015
- Higginson, D. P.; Korneev, Ph; Béard, J.
- High Energy Density Physics, Vol. 17
Particle Energization in an Expanding Magnetized Relativistic Plasma
journal, February 2003
- Liang, Edison; Nishimura, Kazumi; Li, Hui
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 90, Issue 8
Observation of magnetic field generation via the Weibel instability in interpenetrating plasma flows
journal, January 2015
- Huntington, C. M.; Fiuza, F.; Ross, J. S.
- Nature Physics, Vol. 11, Issue 2
Particle Acceleration in Relativistic Collisionless Shocks: Fermi Process at Last?
journal, July 2008
- Spitkovsky, Anatoly
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 682, Issue 1
Direct Experimental Evidence of Back-Surface Ion Acceleration from Laser-Irradiated Gold Foils
journal, December 2004
- Allen, Matthew; Patel, Pravesh K.; Mackinnon, Andrew
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 26
Ion Dynamics and Acceleration in Relativistic Shocks
journal, April 2009
- Martins, S. F.; Fonseca, R. A.; Silva, L. O.
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 695, Issue 2
Nonthermal Electrons at High Mach Number Shocks: Electron Shock Surfing Acceleration
journal, June 2002
- Hoshino, M.; Shimada, N.
- The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 572, Issue 2
Filamentation Instability of Counterstreaming Laser-Driven Plasmas
journal, November 2013
- Fox, W.; Fiksel, G.; Bhattacharjee, A.
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 111, Issue 22
Particle acceleration at astrophysical shocks: A theory of cosmic ray origin
journal, October 1987
- Blandford, Roger; Eichler, David
- Physics Reports, Vol. 154, Issue 1
TNSA-like plasmas collision in an ambient magnetic field as a route to astrophysical collisionless shock observation in a laboratory
journal, December 2015
- Korneev, Ph.; D'Humières, E.; Tikhonchuk, V.
- High Energy Density Physics, Vol. 17
The acceleration of cosmic rays in shock fronts - II
journal, March 1978
- Bell, A. R.
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 182, Issue 3
Self-organized electromagnetic field structures in laser-produced counter-streaming plasmas
journal, September 2012
- Kugland, N. L.; Ryutov, D. D.; Chang, P-Y.
- Nature Physics, Vol. 8, Issue 11
Collisionless Coupling of Ion and Electron Temperatures in Counterstreaming Plasma Flows
journal, April 2013
- Ross, J. S.; Park, H. -S.; Berger, R.
- Physical Review Letters, Vol. 110, Issue 14
A quasi-monoenergetic short time duration compact proton source for probing high energy density states of matter
journal, March 2021
- Apiñaniz, J. I.; Malko, S.; Fedosejevs, R.
- Scientific Reports, Vol. 11, Issue 1
Ion dynamics and acceleration in relativistic shocks
text, January 2009
- Martins, S. F.; Fonseca, R. A.; Silva, L. O.
- arXiv
Nonrelativistic collisionless shocks in weakly magnetized electron--ion plasmas: two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of perpendicular shock
text, January 2010
- Kato, Tsunehiko N.; Takabe, Hideaki
- arXiv
Extreme particle acceleration in magnetic reconnection layers. Application to the gamma-ray flares in the Crab Nebula
text, January 2011
- Cerutti, Benoit; Uzdensky, Dmitri A.; Begelman, Mitchell C.
- arXiv
Dynamics of self-generated, large amplitude magnetic fields following high-intensity laser matter interaction
text, January 2012
- Sarri, G.; Macchi, A.; Cecchetti, C. A.
- arXiv
Simultaneous Acceleration of Protons and Electrons at Nonrelativistic Quasiparallel Collisionless Shocks
text, January 2014
- Park, Jaehong; Caprioli, Damiano; Spitkovsky, Anatoly
- arXiv
3D MHD modeling of twisted coronal loops
text, January 2016
- Reale, F.; Orlando, S.; Guarrasi, M.
- arXiv
Nonthermal Electrons at High Mach Number Shocks: Electron Shock Surfing Acceleration
text, January 2002
- Hoshino, M.; Shimada, N.
- arXiv
Particle Energization in an Expanding Magnetized Relativistic Plasma
text, January 2003
- Liang, Edison; Nishimura, Kazumi; Li, Hui
- arXiv
On particle acceleration and trapping by Poynting flux dominated flows
text, January 2005
- Paesold, Gunnar; Blackman, Eric G.; Messmer, Peter
- arXiv
Figures / Tables found in this record: