Optical Imaging of Laser-Driven Fast Electron Weibel-like Filamentation in Overcritical Density Plasma

Dover, N. P.; Tresca, O.; Cook, N.; Ettlinger, O. C.; Kingham, R. J.; Maharjan, C.; Polyanskiy, M. N.; Shkolnikov, P.; Pogorelsky, I.; Najmudin, Z.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.025102

Title: Optical Imaging of Laser-Driven Fast Electron Weibel-like Filamentation in Overcritical Density Plasma

Journal Article · 17 January 2025 · Physical Review Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.025102 · OSTI ID:2502125

; Tresca, O.;

;

; Kingham, R. J.; Maharjan, C.;

;

We report on the measurement of filamented transport of laser-generated fast electron beams in near-critical density plasma. A relativistic intensity long-wave-infrared laser irradiated a hydrodynamically shaped helium gas flow at an electron density $n_{e} ≃ 10^{25} m^{- 3}$ , generating a large flux of fast electrons that propagated beyond the critical surface. The beam-to-background electron density ratio was sufficiently high to drive growth of Weibel-like filamentation, which was measured by optical probing to extend up to $800 μ m$ with radii $\sim 10 μ m$ . Particle-in-cell simulations reproduce the main features of the filamentation generation, suggesting that collisionless processes are dominant in these interactions. Expansion of the filaments after formation infers a fast electron heated plasma temperature $\sim 400 eV$ in the overcritical density plasma. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

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Research Organization:: Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-07ER41488; SC0012704

OSTI ID:: 2502125

Report Number(s):: BNL--228061-2025-JAAM; 025102

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 134; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO

Publisher:: American Physical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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