Spatial-temporal measurements of magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas

The results of an investigation of the electromagnetic wave polarization, probing high-temperature laser plasma, as well as spatial-temporal structure of the magnetic fields, electron density, current density, and electron drift velocity are presented. To create the plasma, plane massive Al targets were irradiated with the second harmonic of a phoenix Nd laser at intensities up to 5·10¹⁴ W/cm². It was shown that the magnetooptical Faraday effect is the main mechanism responsible for the changing polarization of the probing wave. Magnetic fields up to 0.4 MG with electron densities ∼10²⁰ cm⁻³ were measured. Analysis of the magnetic field spatial distribution showed that the current density achieved the value ∼90 MA/cm² on the laser axis. The radial structure of the magnetic field testified to the availability of the reversed current in the laser plasma. The spatial and temporal resolutions in these experiments were equaled to ∼5 μsec and ∼50 psec, respectively. Translated from Preprint No. 35 of the Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow, 1993.     

Effect of small-scale de magnetic fields on filamentation in laser-produced plasmas

A mechanism driving filamentation instability by self-generated small-scale magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas is suggested with use of a simplified model. The wavelength dependence of the filamentation mechanism is very strong. The predictions of the model are consistent with experimental observations.     

Pulsations and chaos in laser-produced plasmas

A general criterion is proposed predicting the onset of chaotic behavior for parametric processes in a laser-produced plasma. The conditions when the transition to the stochastic regime occur are determined for various parametric instabilities excited when a high intensity laser interacts with a plasma. The complicated temporal structure observed in 3/2₀, 2₀, 1₀, and fast electron emission in experiments using high-intensity (I10^15–17 W/cm²), short ( _L 40–200 psec) Nd laser pulses is attributed to the reflection seeded SBS instability being driven into this regime.Lebedev Physics Institute, Leninsky Prospect 53, Moscow 117924 Russia.     

Ionization effects in laser-produced plasmas

We describe a steady state density and temperature dependent atomic physics package TRIP (4) which we have incorporated into a 1-D lagrangian computer code MEDUSA. Using this modified version of the code we evaluate the degree of ionization and study the effect of atomic processes in laser-compression simulations of gas filled micro-balloons.     

Optical energy balance in laser-produced plasmas

Optical energy balance in plasmas produced by irradiating solid targets by highpower laser pulses, has been experimentally determined. The total light scattered has been measured as a function of the laser intensity and the irratiated spot diameter. It has been found that the net light absorption does not depend on the laser intensity alone, but is also affected by the irradiated spot area. It has also been observed that diffuse back reflection becomes a dominant loss mechanism at high incident flux and small irradiated spot area.     

High-order harmonic generation in nanoparticle-containing laser-produced plasmas

Nanoparticle-containing media can be used for the efficient high-order harmonic generation (HHG) of laser radiation in the extreme ultraviolet range. We review the results of recent studies of the HHG in laser-produced plasmas containing Ag, Au, Pd, Pt, Ru, GaN, BaTiO₃, and SrTiO₃ nanoparticles. The harmonics of femtosecond radiation up to the 55th order were achieved using the nanoparticle-containing plumes, when the femtosecond radiation propagated through the preformed plasma. These results are compared with the high-order harmonics generated from the plasma produced on the surface of bulk targets at different delays between the subnanosecond heating prepulse and femtosecond pulse. We discuss a six-fold enhancement of the HHG yield, which was achieved in the case of nanoparticle-containing plumes with regard to the monoparticle-containing plasmas.     

Measuring magnetic fields in plasmas by means of light scattering

The theory of light scattering in plasmas containing a magnetic field yields the special case of modulated scattering spectra. The modulation frequency is governed by the field in the plasma and is equal to the electron cyclotron frequency. In this investigation magnetic fields in a plasma were determined by a laser scattering experiment. The experimental data were: electron densityn _e=10¹⁶cm^?3, electron temperatureT _e=3.2 eV, scattering angle θ=90 °, scattering parameter α=0.6, and a maximum field in the plasma of 125 kG. The spectrum measured at the maximum magnetic field was modulated with 3.6 × 10¹¹ Hz. In scattering experiments with a field reduced by about 20% the observed modulation frequency was 2.8 × 10¹¹ Hz. A thermal spectrum with a smooth profile was found when no field was present in the plasma. Applying the theory of cyclotron modulated spectra one obtains from the scattering experiment magnetic fields of 128, 100, and 0 kG. Within the experimental accuracy these values agree well with the fields determined by means of magnetic probes. Other possible interpretations of the measured deviations from thermal spectra (modulation with the plasma frequency or additional cold electron components in the plasma) are discussed, but they afford no explanation. This experiment has domonstrated that magnetic fields in plasmas can be measured locally and almost without disturbance by means of light scattering.     

Resistive collimation of electron beams in laser-produced plasmas

Intense relativistic electron beams, produced by high-intensity short-pulse laser irradiation of a solid target, have many potential applications including fusion by fast ignition. Using a unique Fokker-Planck code, supported by analytic calculations, we show that fast electrons can be collimated into a beam even when the fast electron source is not strongly anisotropic, and we derive a condition for collimation to occur.     

The spectra of helium-like ions in laser-produced plasmas

We calculate intensities of lines arising from the n = 2 and n = 3 levels of highly-charged, helium-like ions in very dense plasmas. We determine the importance of recombination and cascading, and of radiation trapping, on certain line-intensity ratios, and we illustrate the relevance of these calculations to laser-plasma diagnostics. Finally, we outline the pitfalls inherent, at very high densities, in some other techniques commonly used to interpret plasma spectra.     

Spectroscopic diagnostics of carbon and aluminum laser-produced plasmas

VUV emission spectra of plasmas produced by focusing laser radiation with intensity of 10¹⁰–10¹¹ W/cm² on carbon and aluminum targets were studied. Using the partial local thermodynamic equilibrium model for an electron density exceeding 10¹⁷ cm^?3, the spectroscopic diagnostics and the analysis of ion composition of plasmas were carried out. The electron temperatures determined for carbon and aluminum plasmas from the ratio of intensities of ionic lines were found to be 8±3 eV and 11±4 eV, respectively. Stark broadening of aluminum lines was measured and parameters of electron broadening were determined. Using the spatially resolved measurement of Stark line broadening, the spatial density distribution and the law of electron gas expansion were found. The electron gas in the hot region of size 5 mm with an average density of (5±2) 10₁₇cm ^?3 experienced one-dimensional expansion according to the law 1/z ^1.1 with increasing distance z from the target.     

X-ray gain in laser-produced carbon plasmas using double-layer targets

We investigate from a theoretical point of view the basic possibilities for the effect of ionizing radiation on the X-ray gain in recombining laser-produced plasmas, in particular with regard to recently performed experiments in which targets consisting of two different-material layers (double-layer targets) were used. We discuss an increase of the gain for the 3 2 transition in hydrogenic ions which is due to photoionization causing, mainly, a decrease of the Lyman- reabsorption and an increase of the population of higher levels. In our numerical simulations we consider single-material and double-layer targets, concentrating particularly on carbon and titanium. We obtain and discuss the time behaviour of the X-ray emission from the laser-produced plasma with regard to its application as pump radiation.     

Time evolution of collisionless shock in counterstreaming laser-produced plasmas

We investigated the time evolution of a strong collisionless shock in counterstreaming plasmas produced using a high-power laser pulse. The counterstreaming plasmas were generated by irradiating a CH double-plane target with the laser. In self-emission streaked optical pyrometry data, steepening of the self-emission profile as the two-plasma interaction evolved indicated shock formation. The shock thickness was less than the mean free path of the counterstreaming ions. Two-dimensional snapshots of the self-emission and shadowgrams also showed very thin shock structures. The Mach numbers estimated from the flow velocity and the brightness temperatures are very high.