Emittance measurements of a laser-wakefield-accelerated electron beam

The transverse emittance of a relativistic electron beam generated by the interaction of a high-intensity laser with an underdense plasma has been measured with the "pepper-pot" method. For parameters pertaining to the forced laser wakefield regime, we have measured an emittance as low as (2.7+/-0.9) pi mm mrad for (55+/-2) MeV electrons. These measurements are consistent with 3D particle-in-cell simulations of the experiment, which additionally show the existence of a relatively large halo around the beam core.     

Evolutionary algorithm-based PID controller tuning for nonlinear quarter-car electrohydraulic vehicle suspensions

The basic challenge associated with the design of vehicle suspension system is the attainment of an optimal trade-off between the various design objectives. This study presents the design of proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for a quarter-car active vehicle suspension system (AVSS) using evolutionary algorithms (EA) such as the particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA) and differential evolution (DE). Each of the EA-based PID controllers showed overall improvement in suspension travel, ride comfort, settling time and road holding from the manually tuned controller and the passive vehicle suspension system. These improvements were, however, achieved at the cost of increased actuator force, power consumption and spool-valve displacement. DE-optimized PID control resulted in the best minimized suspension performance, followed by the GA and PSO, respectively. Frequency-domain analysis showed that all the signals were attenuated within the whole body vibration frequency range and the EA-optimized controllers had RMS frequency weighted body acceleration of the vehicle within allowable limits for vibration exposure. Robustness analysis of the DE-optimized PID-controlled AVSS to model uncertainties is carried out in the form of variation in vehicle sprung mass loading, tyre stiffness and speed.     

Magnetic reconnection and plasma dynamics in two-beam laser-solid interactions

We present measurements of a magnetic reconnection in a plasma created by two laser beams (1 ns pulse duration, 1 x 10(15) W cm(-2)) focused in close proximity on a planar solid target. Simultaneous optical probing and proton grid deflectometry reveal two high velocity, collimated outflowing jets and 0.7-1.3 MG magnetic fields at the focal spot edges. Thomson scattering measurements from the reconnection layer are consistent with high electron temperatures in this region.     

Monoenergetic electronic beam production using dual collinear laser pulses

The production of monoenergetic electron beams by two copropagating ultrashort laser pulses is investigated both by experiment and using particle-in-cell simulations. By proper timing between guiding and driver pulses, a high-amplitude plasma wave is generated and sustained for longer than is possible with either of the laser pulses individually, due to plasma waveguiding of the driver by the guiding pulse. The growth of the plasma wave is inferred by the measurement of monoenergetic electron beams with low divergence that are not measured by using either of the pulses individually. This scheme can be easily implemented and may allow more control of the interaction than is available to the single pulse scheme.     

Dynamics of the critical surface in high-intensity laser-solid interactions: modulation of the XUV harmonic spectra

The generation of harmonics from the interaction of an intense (I>or=10(18) W cm(-2)) laser with a solid surface is investigated. Modulation of the harmonic emission spectrum with a periodicity of 2 to 4 harmonics is observed at higher laser intensities. A similar modulation is predicted by a particle-in-cell simulation. The modulation is shown to be caused by the higher modes of oscillation of the critical surface during the interaction. As a result, the dynamics of the critical surface can be inferred from the shape of the harmonic spectrum.     

Measurement of instability growth in a magnetized Z pinch in the finite-Larmor-radius regime

The development of the m = 0 instability in a Z pinch was followed and the measured growth rates compared with 2D MHD simulations. Where MHD is valid, the measured growth rates agree well with simulation. Where the ions are magnetized, i.e., where the ion-cyclotron frequency is smaller than the ion-collision frequency and the ratio of the ion Larmor radius to pinch radius is of the order of 0.1, the growth rate was smaller than expected by a factor of 2.5. This is as predicted by finite-Larmor-radius theory. The product of the wave number and the pinch radius was ka approximately 2pi and was the same for all conditions. Perturbations as large as 30% of the pinch radius were observed; no nonlinear saturation was evident.     

Effect of core-corona plasma structure on seeding of instabilities in wire array Z pinches

We present the first measurements by x-ray radiography of the development of instabilities during the implosion phase of wire array Z pinches. The seeding of perturbations on the dense core of each wire is provided by nonuniform sweeping of the low-density coronal plasma from the cores by the global JxB force. The spatial scale of these perturbations ( approximately 0.5 mm for Al and approximately 0.25 mm for W) is determined by the size of the wire cores ( approximately 0.25 mm for Al and approximately 0.1 mm for W). A qualitative change in implosion dynamics, with transition to 0D-like trajectory, was observed in Al arrays when the ratio of interwire gap to wire core size was decreased to approximately 3.     

Two different modes of nested wire array Z-pinch implosions

Two different modes of nested wire array implosion driven by a 1-MA, 240-ns current pulse were observed, determined by the fraction of total current induced in the inner array. Penetration by the outer array through the inner with switching of current occurred if current in the inner array was initially suppressed. Simultaneous implosion of arrays with apparent compression of magnetic flux between the arrays was observed if approximately 20% of the current was in the inner array. In both cases the x-ray pulse rise time of approximately 10 ns (for 260-ns implosion time) was considerably smaller than for a single array.     

Effect of the plasma density scale length on the direction of fast electrons in relativistic laser-solid interactions

The angular distribution of bremsstrahlung gamma rays produced by fast electrons accelerated in relativistic laser-solid interaction has been studied by photoneutron activation in copper. We show that the gamma-ray beam moves from the target normal to the direction of the k(laser) vector as the scale length is increased. Similar behavior is found also in 2D particle-in-cell simulations.