Weibel-Induced Filamentation during an Ultrafast Laser-Driven Plasma Expansion

Year: 2012

Authors: Quinn K., Romagnani L., Ramakrishna B., Sarri G., Dieckmann M. E., Wilson P.A., Fuchs J., Lancia L., Pipahl A., Toncian T., Willi O., Clarke R.J., Notley M., Macchi A., Borghesi M.

Autors Affiliation: Queens Univ Belfast, Sch Math & Phys, Ctr Plasma Phys, Belfast BT7 1NN, Antrim, North Ireland; UPMC, LULI, Ecole Polytech, CNRS,CEA, F-91128 Palaiseau, France; Univ Dusseldorf, Inst Laser & Plasmaphys, D-40225 Dusseldorf, Germany; Rutherford Appleton Lab, Cent Laser Facil, Chilton OX11 0QX, Oxon, England; CNR, Ist Nazl Ott, I-56100 Pisa, Italy; Univ Pisa, Dipartimento Fis E Fermi, Pisa, Italy.

Abstract: The development of current instabilities behind the front of a cylindrically expanding plasma has been investigated experimentally via proton probing techniques. A multitude of tubelike filamentary structures is observed to form behind the front of a plasma created by irradiating solid-density wire targets with a high-intensity (I similar to 10(19) W/cm(2)), picosecond-duration laser pulse. These filaments exhibit a remarkable degree of stability, persisting for several tens of picoseconds, and appear to be magnetized over a filament length corresponding to several filament radii. Particle-in-cell simulations indicate that their formation can be attributed to a Weibel instability driven by a thermal anisotropy of the electron population. We suggest that these results may have implications in astrophysical scenarios, particularly concerning the problem of the generation of strong, spatially extended and sustained magnetic fields in astrophysical jets.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS

Volume: 108 (13)      Pages from: 135001-1  to: 135001-4

More Information: This research was supported by EPSRC Grants No. EP/E048668/1, No. EP/E035728/1, and No. EP/C003586/1; DFG No. TR18 and No. GK1203; the British Council Alliance Program; QUB Internationalization Funds; DEL/AWE plc CAST; the STFC Direct Access Scheme; Vetenskapsradet (Dnr: 2010-4063); EPSRC/Andor Technology; Leverhulme Trust fellowship (ECF-2011-383); and MIUR, Italy through the FIRB project SULDIS’’. The support of the staff of the Central Laser Facility at RAL is gratefully acknowledged. L. R. acknowledges support from the ULIMAC grant from the Triangle de la Physique RTRA network.
KeyWords: laser-plasma interactions; laboratory astrophysics; plasma instabilities; generation; instability
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.135001

Citations: 55
data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-11-17
References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)
Connecting to view paper tab on IsiWeb: Click here
Connecting to view citations from IsiWeb: Click here