High-Power, Kilojoule Class Laser Channeling in Millimeter-Scale Underdense Plasma

Journal Article · Fri Mar 11 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.106.105002· OSTI ID:21562083

Willingale, L; Thomas, A G. R.; Maksimchuk, A; Zulick, C; Krushelnick, K ^[1]; Nilson, P M; Craxton, R S; Sangster, T C; Stoeckl, C ^[2]; Cobble, J ^[3]; Norreys, P A; Scott, R H. H. ^[4]

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1. Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, University of Michigan, 2200 Bonisteel Boulevard, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)
2. University of Rochester-Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)
3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
4. STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Central Laser Facility, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)

Experiments were performed using the Omega EP laser, operating at 740 J of energy in 8 ps (90 TW), which provides extreme conditions relevant to fast ignition studies. A carbon and hydrogen plasma plume was used as the underdense target and the interaction of the laser pulse propagating and channeling through the plasma was imaged using proton radiography. The early time expansion, channel evolution, filamentation, and self-correction of the channel was measured on a single shot via this method. A channel wall modulation was observed and attributed to surface waves. After around 50 ps, the channel had evolved to show bubblelike structures, which may be due to postsoliton remnants.

• OSTI ID: 21562083
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.105002; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
CARBON
CHANNELING
CORRECTIONS
HYDROGEN
INTERACTIONS
LASERS
MODULATION
PLASMA
PLUMES
PROTON RADIOGRAPHY
PULSES
WALLS
WAVE PROPAGATION
ELEMENTS
INDUSTRIAL RADIOGRAPHY
MATERIALS TESTING
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
NONMETALS
TESTING