Characterization of single and colliding laser-produced plasma bubbles using Thomson scattering and proton radiography

Time-resolved measurements of electron and ion temperatures using Thomson scattering have been combined with proton radiography data for comprehensive characterization of individual laser-produced plasma bubbles or the interaction of bubble pairs, where reconnection of azimuthal magnetic fields occu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rosenberg, Michael Jonathan, Ross, J. S., Li, C. K., Town, R. P. J., Seguin, Fredrick Hampton, Frenje, Johan A., Froula, D. H., Petrasso, Richard D.
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: American Physical Society 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/77137
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6919-4881
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1020-3501
Description
Summary:Time-resolved measurements of electron and ion temperatures using Thomson scattering have been combined with proton radiography data for comprehensive characterization of individual laser-produced plasma bubbles or the interaction of bubble pairs, where reconnection of azimuthal magnetic fields occurs. Measurements of ion and electron temperatures agree with lasnex simulations of single plasma bubbles, which include the physics of magnetic fields. There is negligible difference in temperatures between a single plasma bubble and the interaction region of bubble pairs, although the ion temperature may be slightly higher due to the collision of expanding plasmas. These results are consistent with reconnection in a β∼8 plasma, where the release of magnetic energy (<5% of the electron thermal energy) does not appreciably affect the hydrodynamics.