Radiation-pressure-driven ion Weibel instability and collisionless shocks

Year: 2017

Authors: Grassi A., Grech M., Amiranoff F., Macchi A., Riconda C.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Paris Saclay, CEA, Ecole Polytech, LULI,Sorbonne Univ,CNRS, Paris, France; Univ Pisa, Dipartimento Fis Enrico Fermi, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa, Italy; CNR, UOS Adriano Gozzini, INO, I-56127 Pisa, Italy; Sorbonne Univ, Univ Paris Saclay, CEA, LULI,CNRS,Ecole Polytech, Palaiseau, France.

Abstract: The Weibel instability from counterstreaming plasma flows is a basic process highly relevant for collisionless shock formation in astrophysics. In this paper we investigate, via two- and three-dimensional simulations, suitable configurations for laboratory investigations of the ion Weibel instability (IWI) driven by a fast quasineutral plasma flow launched into the target via the radiation pressure of an ultra-high-intensity laser pulse (“hole-boring” process). The use of S-polarized light at oblique incidence is found to be an optimal configuration for driving IWI, as it prevents the development of surface rippling observed at normal incidence that would lead to strong electron heating and would favor competing instabilities. Conditions for the evolution of IWI into a collisionless shock are also investigated.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW E

Volume: 96 (3)      Pages from: 33204-1  to: 33204-7

More Information: The authors thank L. Gremillet, A. Sgattoni, V. Tikhonchuk, and T. Vinci for valuable discussions and the SMILEI development team for technical support. Financial support from Grant No. ANR-11-IDEX-0004-02 Plas@ Par is acknowledged. A. G. acknowledges support from the Universite Franco-Italienne through the Vinci program (Grant No. C2-133). A. G. and A. M. acknowledge the PRIN Project Laser-Driven Shock Waves (2012AY5LEL-002) sponsored by MIUR, Italy. This work was performed using HPC resources from GENCI-TGCC (Grant No. 2017-x2016057678).
KeyWords: collisionless shock; plasma simulation; radiation pressure; Weibel instability;
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.96.033204

Citations: 15
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