We present the first local, quantitative measurements of ion current filamentation and magnetic field amplification in interpenetrating plasmas, characterizing the dynamics of the ion Weibel ...instability. The interaction of a pair of laser-generated, counterpropagating, collisionless, supersonic plasma flows is probed using optical Thomson scattering (TS). Analysis of the TS ion-feature revealed anticorrelated modulations in the density of the two ion streams at the spatial scale of the ion skin depth c/ωpi=120 μm, and a correlated modulation in the plasma current. The inferred current profile implies a magnetic field amplitude ∼30±6 T, corresponding to ∼1% of the flow kinetic energy, indicating that magnetic trapping is the dominant saturation mechanism.
At the frontiers of physics and chemistry lies the new and rapidly emerging area of complex plasma systems. The study of complex plasma systems that contain colloid nano/microscopic particles is now ...actively pursued in a diverse range of scientific fields — from plasma and gas discharge physics, to astrophysics, materials science and engineering. This book highlights, in a systematic, insightful, and perceptive way, the fundamental physics and industrial applications of complex plasmas, with emphasis on the conditions relevant to laboratory gas discharges and industrial plasma reactors. It provides a specialized and comprehensive description of the most recent theoretical, experimental, and modeling efforts to understand the unique properties of complex plasma systems involving the stability, dynamics, and self-organization of colloid particles and their associations. Special attention is focused on the physical understanding of up-to-date developments in major technological applications of micron and nano-sized particles. Each chapter is presented in a concise and comprehensive manner, with a categorized overview of the underlying physics followed by an in-depth description. The book will appeal to scientists and researchers as well as undergraduate and graduate students wishing to explore the flourishing interdisciplinary field of complex plasma systems.
A self-contained introduction to the main aspects of high-power laser-matter interaction in the intensity range 10^10-10^22 W/cm^2 from plasma formation to highly relativistic interactions of the ...laser field with matter is presented. It is intended as a guide for scientists and students who have just discovered the field as a new and attractive area of research, and for scientists who have worked in another field and want to join now the subject of laser plasmas. In the first chapter the plasma dynamics is described phenomenologically by a two fluid model and similarity relations from dimensional analysis. Chapter 2 is devoted to plasma optics and collisional absorption in the dielectric and ballistic model. Linear resonance absorption at the plasma frequency and its mild nonlinearities as well as the self-quenching of high amplitude electron plasma waves by wave breaking are discussed in Chapter 3. With increasing laser intensity the plasma dynamics is dominated by radiation pressure, at resonance producing all kinds of parametric instabilities and out of resonance leading to density steps, self-focusing and filamentation, described in Chapters 4 and 5.A self-contained treatment of field ionization of atoms and related phenomena are found in Chapter 6. The extension of laser interaction to the relativistic electron acceleration as well as the physics of collisionless absorption are the subject of Chapter 7. Throughout the book the main emphasis is on the various basic phenomena and on their underlying physics.
This open access book (Volume 2) is part of the series "The Physics of Laser Plasmas and Applications." It serves as an introduction to the physics of compressible hydrodynamics, which is used to ...describe the temporal evolution of plasmas generated by intense laser irradiation of solid surfaces. For the benefit of students and young researchers, the book presents the fundamental equations and provides a comprehensible explanation of solutions to intricate fluid phenomena. It builds upon the concept of plasma generation through the heating of matter via the classical absorption of a laser, as expounded in Volume 1. The high-temperature plasma resulting from the laser interaction manifests in diverse hydrodynamic occurrences like shock waves and expansion waves. The initial sections of this book expound the essentials of compressible hydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), and the physics of shock waves. The transfer of laser energy within an expanding plasma towards regions of higher density is achieved through electron and X-ray transport mechanisms. In both instances, conventional diffusion models prove inadequate, necessitating mathematical frameworks founded on the Boltzmann equation. The conveyed energy engenders ablation pressure, equivalent to tens of millions of atmospheres, on the solid surface. This pressure initiates powerful shock waves propagating through the solid material. The propagation of these shock waves is delineated for scenarios involving planar and spherical geometries. The text also introduces various solutions pertaining to convergent and divergent shocks in spherical geometries using self-similar models. The discourse then shifts towards ionization and related atomic processes, which govern the dynamics of plasmas created by laser irradiation of mid-Z and high-Z solids. The quantum mechanics of partially ionized atoms and their associated atomic processes are elucidated. Concluding the book is an exploration of the physics of warm dense matter (WDM) – an electron system characterized by quantum-mechanical, many-body interactions. The study of high-density plasmas featuring temperatures around 1 eV is undertaken through the lens of density functional theory (DFT). The theoretical breakdown of experimental data acquired via the X-ray free electron laser (X-FEL) is also provided. In essence, this second volume of the series amalgamates a comprehensive understanding of compressible hydrodynamics, shock wave physics, ionization processes, energy transfer, and the realm of warm dense matter. It equips readers to delve into the intricacies of plasma physics and laser interactions while utilizing modern theoretical frameworks and experimental methodologies. This is an open access book.
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