One-dimensional thermal pressure-driven expansion of a pair cloud into an electron-proton plasma
arXiv:1805.08422 · doi:10.1063/1.5026568
Abstract
Recently a filamentation instability was observed when a laser-generated pair cloud interacted with an ambient plasma. The magnetic field it drove was strong enough to magnetize and accelerate the ambient electrons. It is of interest to determine if and how pair cloud-driven instabilities can accelerate ions in the laboratory or in astrophysical plasma. For this purpose, the expansion of a localized pair cloud with the temperature 400 keV into a cooler ambient electron-proton plasma is studied by means of one-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations. The cloud's expansion triggers the formation of electron phase space holes that accelerate some protons to MeV energies. Forthcoming lasers might provide the energy needed to create a cloud that can accelerate protons.
arXiv comment5 pages 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physics of Plasmas
References in corpus (7)
- SN 2006gy: Discovery of the most luminous supernova ever recorded, powered by the death of an extremely massive star like Eta Carinae
- Electron-positron pairs in physics and astrophysics: from heavy nuclei to black holes
- GRS 1915+105 and the Disc-Jet Coupling in Accreting Black Hole Systems
- The microphysics of collisionless shock waves
- Experimental observation of a current-driven instability in a neutral electron-positron beam
- Observation and characterization of laser-driven Phase Space Electron Holes
- PIC simulation study of the interaction between a relativistically moving leptonic micro-cloud and ambient electrons
Cited by in corpus (4)
- Structure of a collisionless pair jet in a magnetized electron-proton plasma: flow-aligned magnetic field
- Expansion of a mildly relativistic hot pair cloud into an electron-proton plasma
- Relaxation of a Two Electron-Temperature Relativistic Hot Electron-Positron-Ion Plasma
- Three-dimensional structure and stability of discontinuities between unmagnetized pair plasma and magnetized electron-proton plasma