Publications (6)
Kinetic simulation of magnetic field generation and collisionless shock formation in expanding laboratory plasmas
W. Fox, J. Matteucci, C. Moissard +4
Recent laboratory experiments with laser-produced plasmas have observed and studied a number of fundamental physical processes relevant to magnetized astrophysical plasmas, includi…
A novel kinetic mechanism for the onset of fast magnetic reconnection and plasmoid instabilities in collisionless plasmas
W. Fox, G. Fiksel, D. B. Schaeffer +9
Magnetic reconnection can explosively release magnetic energy when opposing magnetic fields merge and annihilate through a current sheet, driving plasma jets and accelerating non-t…
Particle Velocity Distributions in Developing Magnetized Collisionless Shocks in Laser-Produced Plasmas
D. B. Schaeffer, W. Fox, R. K. Follett +5
We present the first laboratory observations of time-resolved electron and ion velocity distributions in forming, magnetized collisionless shocks. Thomson scattering of a probe las…
Fast magnetic reconnection in highly-extended current sheets at the National Ignition Facility
W. Fox, D. B. Schaeffer, M. J. Rosenberg +12
Fast magnetic reconnection was observed between magnetized laser-produced plasmas at the National Ignition Facility. Two highly-elongated plasma plumes were produced by tiling two…
Kinetic simulations of electron pre-energization by magnetized collisionless shocks in expanding laboratory plasmas
K. V. Lezhnin, W. Fox, D. B. Schaeffer +4
Collisionless shocks are common features in space and astrophysical systems where supersonic plasma flows interact, such as in the solar wind, the heliopause, and supernova remnant…
Regimes of magnetic reconnection in colliding laser-produced magnetized plasma bubbles
K. V. Lezhnin, W. Fox, J. Matteucci +4
We conduct a multiparametric study of driven magnetic reconnection relevant to recent experiments on colliding magnetized laser produced plasmas using particle-in-cell simulations.…