Precision mapping of laser-driven magnetic fields and their evolution in high-energy-density plasmas

Abstract

Magnetic fields generated by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability were measured in laser-accelerated planar foils using ultrafast proton radiography. Thin plastic foils were irradiated with $\sim$4-kJ, 2.5-ns laser pulses focused to an intensity of $\sim$10${}^{14}$ W$/$cm${}^2$ on the OMEGA EP Laser System. Target modulations were seeded by laser nonuniformities and amplified during target acceleration by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The experimental data show the hydrodynamic evolution of the target and MG-level magnetic fields generated in the broken foil. The experimental data are in good agreement with predictions from 2-D magnetohydrodynamic simulations.

References in corpus (2)

• Magnetic field generation by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in laser-driven planar plastic targets
• Observation of Self-Similarity in the Magnetic Fields Generated by the Ablative Nonlinear Rayleigh-Taylor Instability

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Ultrafast proton radiography of the magnetic fields generated by a laser-driven coil current
• Mega-Gauss Plasma Jet Creation Using a Ring of Laser Beams