Hot-electron energy coupling in ultraintense laser-matter interaction

We investigate the hydrodynamic response of plasma gradients during the interaction with ultraintense energetic laser pulses, using kinetic particle simulations. Energetic laser pulses are capable of compressing preformed plasma gradients over short times while accelerating low-density plasma backwards. As light is absorbed on a steepened interface, hot-electron temperature and coupling efficiency drop below the ponderomotive scaling, and we are left with a new absorption mechanism that strongly relies on the electrostatic potential caused by low-density preformed plasma. We describe this process, explain electron spectra, and identify the parameter regime where strong compression occurs. Finally, we discuss the implications for fast ignition and other applications.     

Acceleration of ions by “slow” intense laser light in low-density targets

The mechanism of synchronized acceleration of ions by slow intense laser light is studied in application to available low-density targets of a new generation, which open prospects for experimental detection of a new effect of acceleration of protons.     

Saturation of the two-plasmon decay instability in long-scale-length plasmas relevant to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

Measurements of the hot-electron generation by the two-plasmon-decay instability are made in plasmas relevant to direct-drive inertial confinement fusion. Density-scale lengths of 400 μm at n(cr)/4 in planar CH targets allowed the two-plasmon-decay instability to be driven to saturation for vacuum intensities above ~3.5×10(14) W cm(-2). In the saturated regime, ~1% of the laser energy is converted to hot electrons. The hot-electron temperature is measured to increase rapidly from 25 to 90 keV as the laser beam intensity is increased from 2 to 7×10(14) W cm(-2). This increase in the hot-electron temperature is compared with predictions from nonlinear Zakharov models.     

Optimization of the beam quality in ionization injection by a tailoring gas profile

A new scheme is proposed to improve the electron beam quality of ionization-induced injection by tailoring gas profile in laser wakefield acceleration. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that the ionization-induced injection mainly occurs in high-density stage and automatically truncates in low-density stage due to the decrease of the wakefield potential difference. The beam loading can be compensated by the elongated beam resulting from the density transition stage. The beam quality can be improved by shorter injection distance and beam loading effect. A quasi-monoenergetic electron beam with a central energy of 258 Me V and an energy spread of 5.1% is obtained under certain laser–plasma conditions.     

Competition between harmonic cyclotron maser interactions in the terahertz regime

Cyclotron harmonic interactions are a key physics issue of critical importance to the generation of terahertz radiation via the electron cyclotron maser instability for practical magnetic field strengths. We present an inherent mechanism, as well as a deciding factor, which governs the competition between low- and high-harmonic interactions. Multimode simulations reveal the physical process in which a significant advantage develops for the lower-harmonic interaction, which eventually dominates in the fully nonlinear stage. The results also suggest a start-up scenario for persistent higher-harmonic operation.     

On the mechanism of luminescence of silicon nanostructures

A new model of porous-silicon (PS) luminescence based on hot-electron generation in silicon nanoparticles is proposed. This mechanism was used earlier for interpretation of light emission in island metal films (IMF). This paper offers a theoretical analysis of possible mechanisms capable of producing light emission in hot-electron collisions with a surface. Experimental data are presented in support of the applicability of this model to PS and silicon nanoparticles (the existence of electron emission in semiconductor structures and the correlation between the electron emission current and the luminescence intensity).     

光子晶体光纤中超连续谱产生的理论与实验研究

研究了光子晶体光纤中超连续激光光源的产生机理.利用非线性偏振旋转技术产生的中心波长为1 556.0 nm的飞秒光脉冲作为泵浦光源,在69 m长的高非线性光子晶体光纤中,得到了20 dB带宽约为140 nm的超连续谱;采用实验和数值模拟方法,研究了不同泵浦功率下超连续谱形成的过程.结果表明,在不同的泵浦功率下,超连续谱的形成机理不同,在各种非线性效应的共同作用下,泵浦光脉冲的峰值功率越高,得到超连续谱的带宽越宽,实验与数值模拟结果一致.另外,要想获得平坦的宽带超连续谱,必须选择合适的光纤长度.     

Electron Acceleration and Bunch Generation by Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulse in Preplasma of a Target

We present analytical studies of electron acceleration in the low-density preplasma of a thin solid target by an intense femtosecond laser pulse. Electrons in the preplasma are trapped and accelerated by the ponderomotive force as well as the wake field. Two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations show that when the laser pulse is stopped by the target, electrons trapped in the laser pules can be extracted and move forward inertially. The energeticelectron bunch in the bubble is unaffected by the reflected pulse and passes through the target with small energy spread and emittance. There is an optimal preplasma density for the generation of the monoenergetic electron bunch if a laser pulse is given. The maximum electron energy is inverse proportion to the preplasma density.     

The surfatron acceleration of cosmic rays in the galactic plasma

The optimum conditions for a prolonged holding of charged particles resonantly trapped from the galactic plasma by nonlinear waves and for the acceleration of these particles to high energies by the surfatron mechanism are established. The density of particles trapped by the plasma waves of large amplitude and by the quasitransverse magnetosonic shock waves is estimated. Various reasons leading to possible breakage of the process of surfatron acceleration of cosmic rays in the Galaxy are considered. Within the framework of the surfatron acceleration mechanism, galactic cosmic rays originate predominantly from the interstellar plasma and their energy spectrum is formed in two stages. In the first stage, some of the galactic plasma particles are accelerated from thermal energies to 10¹⁵ eV/nucleon; in the second stage, the cosmic rays may continue gaining energy up to 10¹⁹ eV/nucleon and above.     

Spatial Distribution of Energetic Electrons during Magnetic Reconnection

Electron acceleration by the inductive electric field near the X point in magnetic reconnection is an important generation mechanism for energetic electrons. Particle simulations have revealed that most of energetic electrons reside in the magnetic field line pileup region, and a depletion of energetic electrons can be found near the centre of the diffusion region [Phys. Plasmas, 13 (2006) 012309]. We report direct measurement of energetic electron in and around the ion diffusion region in near-Earth tail by the cluster, and our observations confirm the above predictions: a depletion of the high-energy electron fluxes is detected near the centre of the diffusion region. At the same time, the plasma temperature has a similar profile in the diffusion region. .     

高等离子体密度区域的光子加速现象

本文研究了激光尾场实验中的透射光谱。和标准尾场实验不同的是,我们采用了更高的等离子体密度。实验中仍然观察到了明显的频谱加宽与频谱分裂,这是光子加速的显著标志。为解释该现象,我们做了二维粒子模拟。模拟结果证明在该高密度等离子体中, 光子加速仍然可以发生。     

A SOGICON type instability in silicon

A current oscillation phenomenon in SOGICON type Si device fabricated by the use of a planar process is studied. The oscillation is generated in the region between anode and notch which is located at the center on the sample. A considerably high electric field is observed in the notch region. Considering the hot-electron effect due to the high electric field, the mechanism underlying the current oscillation is discussed.     

受激布里渊散射的非线性增强和饱和

针对典型激光聚变等离子体参数条件,利用弗拉索夫程序研究非均匀流等离子体中受激布里渊散射的非线性行为。在动理学效应占主导的参数区域,观察到受激布里渊散射激发的离子声波由于非线性动理学频移和非均匀流空间失谐相互补偿引起的离子声波自共振增长,这会导致受激布里渊水平量级的增强;提出用光束时间去相干抑制这种绝对增长。在流体非线性占主导的参数区域,观察到由于离子声波谐波导致的孤立波产生、离子加热以及受激布里渊散射饱和现象。     

二维不可压流体Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性的弱非线性研究

通过将扰动速度势展至三阶,提出了Kelvin-Helmholtz（KH）不稳定性的弱非线性理论.在模耦合过程中观察到一个重要的共振现象,共振使得模耦合过程变得相当复杂,单模扰动很快进入非线性区,产生大量高次谐波,共振加强了非线性作用.分析了单模扰动中二次和三次谐波产生效应,以及对基模指数增长的非线性校正.模拟结果支持了解析理论.利用该理论,分析了KH不稳定的非线性阈值问题. 关键词： Kelvin-Helmholtz不稳定性 弱非线性理论 非线性阈值     

Acceleration and double-peak spectrum of hot electrons in relativistic laser plasmas

A spectrum equation of hot electrons in relativistic laser plasmas is derived in which two hot-electron population peaks appear as the laser strength parameter reaches a threshold. These calculations can explain the generation of very hot electrons with several tens of MeV energy and two hot-electron population peaks observed in the recent experiments.     

Enhanced photoinduced desorption from metal nanoparticles by photoexcitation of confined hot electrons using femtosecond laser pulses

Strong fluence dependence of photodesorption cross sections is observed in femtosecond laser photodesorption of NO from (NO)2 on silver nanoparticles, in contrast to femtosecond photodesorption on bulk metals. The time scale of excitation buildup is found to be equal or less than the pulse duration of ～100 fs; NO translational energies are independent of fluence and pulse duration. We propose a nanoparticle-specific nonlinear mechanism in which, due to confinement, strongly nonthermal hot-electron distributions are maintained during the femtosecond pulses, enhancing the normal desorption pathway.     

Generation of VLF emissions with the increasing and decreasing frequency in the magnetosperic cyclotron maser in the backward wave oscillator regime

We study the mechanisms of the formation of falling tones in the dynamic spectrum of whistler-mode waves generated by energetic electrons in the Earth’s magnetosphere when the backward-wave oscillator (BWO) regime is realized in the magnetospheric cyclotron maser. As was shown earlier, this regime allows one to explain many features of ELF/VLF chorus emissions in the magnetosphere, in particular, the generation of elements with discrete frequency spectrum, characterized by a large growth rate and a fast frequency drift. On the basis of numerical simulations of a simplified system of nonlinear equations describing the magnetospheric BWO dynamics under the assumption of small efficiency of wave-particle interactions we show that the falling tones are generated in the case where the generation region is shifted from the equatorial plane (geomagnetic-field minimum) upstream with respect to the motion of energetic electrons. In this case, the resonant electrons move towards the decreasing magnetic field in the process of generation; hence, their longitudinal velocity increases, which corresponds to a decrease in the cyclotron-resonance frequency. Two mechanisms of the shift of the generation region from the equator are considered, i.e., (i) an increase in the linear instability growth rate (e. g., due to an increase in the energetic-electron density), and (ii) persistence of the phase bunching of the particles coming back to the generation region due to the bounce oscillations. We show that both of these mechanisms can result in the formation of falling tones, but the properties of the generated emissions such as the frequency drift rate and characteristic time interval between the elements are different. The conditions of preserving the phase bunching due to the bounce oscillations are discussed. Probably, this mechanism can operate in the case where the length of the generation region along the magnetic field is close to the characteristic bounce-oscillation length of energetic electrons which is realized for a sufficiently high cold-plasma density in the generation region.     

并行建表化学加速算法研究及其在气相斜爆轰模拟中的应用

采用详细化学反应机理对气相斜爆轰问题开展数值计算时,由于组分之间的特征时间尺度相差很大,反应源项的直接积分(direct integration,DI)求解通常存在强烈的刚性及非线性现象,导致计算量很大.为了在不损失计算精度的基础上有效减少化学反应过程的计算时间,针对包含2H2+O2详细机理的二维斜爆轰并行计算,提出两...     

双束等离子体尾波加速中的束流相对能散预测

针对空泡机制中的双束等离子体尾波电子加速设计,给出了能够快速得到被加速束流在最大加速距离下的相对能散的预测公式。通过加速初始时刻束流纵向分布以及束流所处位置的纵向尾波场可得到束流最终相对能散。该预测公式不仅可应用于驱动束流与被加速束流初始能量相同的情况,还可应用于两个束流初始能量不相同的情况。由该预测公式得到的束流相对能散与被加速束流和驱动束流的初始能量的比值有关,而与两个束流初始能量的数值无关。利用准静态近似的粒子网格模拟程序QuickPIC对理论进行了模拟验证,模拟结果与理论预期结果一致。     

Dissipative solitons under the action of the third-order dispersion

We study the evolution of a solitary pulse in the cubic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation, including the third-order dispersion (TOD) as a small perturbation. We develop analytical approximations, which yield a TOD-induced velocity c of the pulse as a function of the ratio D of the second-order dispersion and filtering coefficients. The analytical predictions show agreement with the direct numerical simulations for two distinct intervals of D. A new feature of the pulse motion, which is a precursor of the transition to blowup, is presented: The pulse suddenly acquires a large acceleration in the reverse direction at D>D(cr) approximately -1.5 and without the reversal at D相似文献