Shock formation in flowing plasmas by temporally and spatially smoothed laser beams

Ludwig, J. D.; Hüller, S.; Rose, H. A.; Bruulsema, C.; Farmer, W.; Michel, P.; Milder, A. L.; Swadling, G. F.; Rozmus, W.

doi:10.1063/5.0189559

Title: Shock formation in flowing plasmas by temporally and spatially smoothed laser beams

Journal Article · 03 March 2024 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0189559 · OSTI ID:2567702

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The cumulative impact of multiple laser speckles on a supersonic plasma flow across optically smoothed laser beams is investigated. The bending of laser beams caused by ponderomotive laser–plasma coupling, together with flow, leads to plasma a momentum-conserving response that results in a deceleration of the flow. Once the flow velocity decreases to a subsonic level, the action of the laser beams can generate a shock within the plasma. This scenario has been predicted theoretically and confirmed by hydrodynamic simulations. The conditions of shock generation are given in terms of the ponderomotive pressure, speckle size, and the flow velocity. The nonlinear properties of the shocks are analyzed using Rankine–Hugoniot relations. According to linear theory, temporally smoothed beams exhibit a higher threshold for shock generation. Numerical simulations with beams that are smoothed by spectral dispersion compare well with the linear theory results, diverging only in the nonlinear regime. The conditions necessary for shock generation and their effects on the laser–plasma coupling in the inertial confinement fusion experiments are also discussed.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Lab. for Laser Energetics

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344; NA0004144

OSTI ID:: 2567702

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-25-24557; LLNL-JRNL-856210; 032103

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 31; ISSN 1070-664X

Publisher:: American Institute of PhysicsCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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