In an experiment carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System at laser intensities relevant to shock ignition conditions(I>10^(16) W/cm^(2)),the heating and transport of hot electrons were studied by using severa...In an experiment carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System at laser intensities relevant to shock ignition conditions(I>10^(16) W/cm^(2)),the heating and transport of hot electrons were studied by using several complementary diagnostics,i.e.,K_(α)time-resolved imaging,hard x-ray filtering(a bremsstrahlung cannon),and electron spectroscopy.Ablators with differing composition from low Z(parylene N)to high Z(nickel)were used in multilayer planar targets to produce plasmas with different coronal temperature and collisionality and modify the conditions of hot-electron generation.The variety of available diagnostics allowed full characterization of the population of hot electrons,retrieving their conversion efficiency,time generation and duration,temperature,and angular divergence.The obtained results are shown to be consistent with those from detailed simulations and similar inertial confinement fusion experiments.Based on the measured data,the advantages,reliability,and complementarity of the experimental diagnostics are discussed.展开更多
Proton radiography has proved increasingly successful as a diagnostic for electric and magnetic fields in high-energy-density physics experiments.Most experiments use target-normal sheath acceleration sources with a w...Proton radiography has proved increasingly successful as a diagnostic for electric and magnetic fields in high-energy-density physics experiments.Most experiments use target-normal sheath acceleration sources with a wide energy range in the proton beam,since the velocity spread can help differentiate between electric and magnetic fields and provide time histories in a single shot.However,in magnetized plasma experiments with strong background fields,the broadband proton spectrum leads to velocity-spread-dependent displacement of the beam and significant blurring of the radiograph.We describe the origins of this blurring and show how it can be removed from experimental measurements,and we outline the conditions under which such deconvolutions are successful.As an example,we apply this method to a magnetized plasma experiment that used a background magnetic field of 3 T and in which the strong displacement and energy spread of the proton beam reduced the spatial resolution from tens of micrometers to a few millimeters.Application of the deconvolution procedure accurately recovers radiographs with resolutions better than 100μm,enabling the recovery of more accurate estimates of the path-integrated magnetic field.This work extends accurate proton radiography to a class of experiments with significant background magnetic fields,particularly those experiments with an applied external magnetic field.展开更多
Giant electromagnetic pulses(EMP) generated during the interaction of high-power lasers with solid targets can seriously degrade electrical measurements and equipment. EMP emission is caused by the acceleration of hot...Giant electromagnetic pulses(EMP) generated during the interaction of high-power lasers with solid targets can seriously degrade electrical measurements and equipment. EMP emission is caused by the acceleration of hot electrons inside the target, which produce radiation across a wide band from DC to terahertz frequencies. Improved understanding and control of EMP is vital as we enter a new era of high repetition rate, high intensity lasers(e.g. the Extreme Light Infrastructure).We present recent data from the VULCAN laser facility that demonstrates how EMP can be readily and effectively reduced. Characterization of the EMP was achieved using B-dot and D-dot probes that took measurements for a range of different target and laser parameters. We demonstrate that target stalk geometry, material composition, geodesic path length and foil surface area can all play a significant role in the reduction of EMP. A combination of electromagnetic wave and 3 D particle-in-cell simulations is used to inform our conclusions about the effects of stalk geometry on EMP,providing an opportunity for comparison with existing charge separation models.展开更多
We report results and modelling of an experiment performed at the Target Area West Vulcan laser facility,aimed at investigating laser±plasma interaction in conditions that are of interest for the shock ignition s...We report results and modelling of an experiment performed at the Target Area West Vulcan laser facility,aimed at investigating laser±plasma interaction in conditions that are of interest for the shock ignition scheme in inertial confinement fusion(ICF),that is,laser intensity higher than 10^(16) W/cm^(2) impinging on a hot(T>1 keV),inhomogeneous and long scalelength pre-formed plasma.Measurements show a significant stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)backscattering(;%-20%of laser energy)driven at low plasma densities and no signatures of two-plasmon decay(TPD)/SRS driven at the quarter critical density region.Results are satisfactorily reproduced by an analytical model accounting for the convective SRS growth in independent laser speckles,in conditions where the reflectivity is dominated by the contribution from the most intense speckles,where SRS becomes saturated.Analytical and kinetic simulations well reproduce the onset of SRS at low plasma densities in a regime strongly affected by non-linear Landau damping and by filamentation of the most intense laser speckles.The absence of TPD/SRS at higher densities is explained by pump depletion and plasma smoothing driven by filamentation.The prevalence of laser coupling in the low-density profile justifies the low temperature measured for hot electrons(7-12 keV),which is well reproduced by numerical simulations.展开更多
The spatial-intensity profile of light reflected during the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a microstructured target is investigated experimentally and the potential to apply this as a diagnostic of the int...The spatial-intensity profile of light reflected during the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a microstructured target is investigated experimentally and the potential to apply this as a diagnostic of the interaction physics is explored numerically. Diffraction and speckle patterns are measured in the specularly reflected light in the cases of targets with regular groove and needle-like structures, respectively, highlighting the potential to use this as a diagnostic of the evolving plasma surface. It is shown, via ray-tracing and numerical modelling, that for a laser focal spot diameter smaller than the periodicity of the target structure, the reflected light patterns can potentially be used to diagnose the degree of plasma expansion, and by extension the local plasma temperature, at the focus of the intense laser light. The reflected patterns could also be used to diagnose the size of the laser focal spot during a high-intensity interaction when using a regular structure with known spacing.展开更多
A developing application of laser-driven currents is the generation of magnetic fields of picosecond-nanosecond duration with magnitudes exceeding B=10 T.Single-loop and helical coil targets can direct laser-driven di...A developing application of laser-driven currents is the generation of magnetic fields of picosecond-nanosecond duration with magnitudes exceeding B=10 T.Single-loop and helical coil targets can direct laser-driven discharge currents along wires to generate spatially uniform,quasi-static magnetic fields on the millimetre scale.Here,we present proton deflectometry across two axes of a single-loop coil ranging from 1 to 2 mm in diameter.Comparison with proton tracking simulations shows that measured magnetic fields are the result of kiloampere currents in the coil and electric charges distributed around the coil target.Using this dual-axis platform for proton deflectometry,robust measurements can be made of the evolution of magnetic fields in a capacitor coil target.展开更多
基金This work was carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Consortium,funded by the European Union via the Euratom Research and Training Programme(Grant No.101052200-EUROfusion)Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission.Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.The involved teams have operated within the framework of the Enabling Research Project:Grant No.ENR-IFE.01.CEA“Advancing shock ignition for direct-drive inertial fusion.”The work was also supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(Grant No.RGPIN-2019-05013)+5 种基金The authors acknowledge support of the PALS Infrastructure within the MŠMT(MEYS)project Grant No.LM2023068Staff members of the PALS Research Center appreciate financial support(Grant No.LM2023068)from the Czech Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports facilitating operation of the PALS facilityThe work of JIHT RAS team was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation(State Assignment No.075-01129-23-00)The work at NRMU MEPhI was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation(Agreement No.075-15-2021-1361)This project has received funding from the CNR funded Italian research Network ELI-Italy(D.M.No.63108.08.2016)This work was funded by United Kingdom EPSRC Grants No.EP/P026796/1 and No.EP/L01663X/1.The results presented in this paper are based on work carried out between September 2018 and December 2021.
文摘In an experiment carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System at laser intensities relevant to shock ignition conditions(I>10^(16) W/cm^(2)),the heating and transport of hot electrons were studied by using several complementary diagnostics,i.e.,K_(α)time-resolved imaging,hard x-ray filtering(a bremsstrahlung cannon),and electron spectroscopy.Ablators with differing composition from low Z(parylene N)to high Z(nickel)were used in multilayer planar targets to produce plasmas with different coronal temperature and collisionality and modify the conditions of hot-electron generation.The variety of available diagnostics allowed full characterization of the population of hot electrons,retrieving their conversion efficiency,time generation and duration,temperature,and angular divergence.The obtained results are shown to be consistent with those from detailed simulations and similar inertial confinement fusion experiments.Based on the measured data,the advantages,reliability,and complementarity of the experimental diagnostics are discussed.
基金the support of LLNL Academic Partnerships(Grant No.B618488)EUROfusion Enabling Research Grant Nos.AWP17-ENR-IFE-CCFE-01 and AWP17-ENR-IFECEA-02,and UK EPSRC Grant Nos.EP/P026796/1 and EP/R029148/1.
文摘Proton radiography has proved increasingly successful as a diagnostic for electric and magnetic fields in high-energy-density physics experiments.Most experiments use target-normal sheath acceleration sources with a wide energy range in the proton beam,since the velocity spread can help differentiate between electric and magnetic fields and provide time histories in a single shot.However,in magnetized plasma experiments with strong background fields,the broadband proton spectrum leads to velocity-spread-dependent displacement of the beam and significant blurring of the radiograph.We describe the origins of this blurring and show how it can be removed from experimental measurements,and we outline the conditions under which such deconvolutions are successful.As an example,we apply this method to a magnetized plasma experiment that used a background magnetic field of 3 T and in which the strong displacement and energy spread of the proton beam reduced the spatial resolution from tens of micrometers to a few millimeters.Application of the deconvolution procedure accurately recovers radiographs with resolutions better than 100μm,enabling the recovery of more accurate estimates of the path-integrated magnetic field.This work extends accurate proton radiography to a class of experiments with significant background magnetic fields,particularly those experiments with an applied external magnetic field.
基金funding from EPSRC grants EP/L01663X/1 and EP/L000644/1the Newton UK grant+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC/11520101003the LLNL Academic Partnership in ICF
文摘Giant electromagnetic pulses(EMP) generated during the interaction of high-power lasers with solid targets can seriously degrade electrical measurements and equipment. EMP emission is caused by the acceleration of hot electrons inside the target, which produce radiation across a wide band from DC to terahertz frequencies. Improved understanding and control of EMP is vital as we enter a new era of high repetition rate, high intensity lasers(e.g. the Extreme Light Infrastructure).We present recent data from the VULCAN laser facility that demonstrates how EMP can be readily and effectively reduced. Characterization of the EMP was achieved using B-dot and D-dot probes that took measurements for a range of different target and laser parameters. We demonstrate that target stalk geometry, material composition, geodesic path length and foil surface area can all play a significant role in the reduction of EMP. A combination of electromagnetic wave and 3 D particle-in-cell simulations is used to inform our conclusions about the effects of stalk geometry on EMP,providing an opportunity for comparison with existing charge separation models.
基金financial support from the LASERLAB-EUROPE Access to Research Infrastructure activity within the EC’s seventh Framework Program(Application No.18110033)carried out within the framework of the EUROfusion Enabling research projects AWP19-20-ENR-IFE19.CEA01 and AWP21-ENR-01-CEA-02+2 种基金funding from the Euratom research and training programme 20192020 and 2021-2025 under grant No.633053financial support from the CNR-funded Italian research Network ELI-Italy(D.M.No.63108.08.2016)the Czech Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports,project LTT17015。
文摘We report results and modelling of an experiment performed at the Target Area West Vulcan laser facility,aimed at investigating laser±plasma interaction in conditions that are of interest for the shock ignition scheme in inertial confinement fusion(ICF),that is,laser intensity higher than 10^(16) W/cm^(2) impinging on a hot(T>1 keV),inhomogeneous and long scalelength pre-formed plasma.Measurements show a significant stimulated Raman scattering(SRS)backscattering(;%-20%of laser energy)driven at low plasma densities and no signatures of two-plasmon decay(TPD)/SRS driven at the quarter critical density region.Results are satisfactorily reproduced by an analytical model accounting for the convective SRS growth in independent laser speckles,in conditions where the reflectivity is dominated by the contribution from the most intense speckles,where SRS becomes saturated.Analytical and kinetic simulations well reproduce the onset of SRS at low plasma densities in a regime strongly affected by non-linear Landau damping and by filamentation of the most intense laser speckles.The absence of TPD/SRS at higher densities is explained by pump depletion and plasma smoothing driven by filamentation.The prevalence of laser coupling in the low-density profile justifies the low temperature measured for hot electrons(7-12 keV),which is well reproduced by numerical simulations.
基金financially supported by EPSRC(grant numbers EP/R006202/1 and EP/K022415/1)the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 654148 Laserlab-Europe
文摘The spatial-intensity profile of light reflected during the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a microstructured target is investigated experimentally and the potential to apply this as a diagnostic of the interaction physics is explored numerically. Diffraction and speckle patterns are measured in the specularly reflected light in the cases of targets with regular groove and needle-like structures, respectively, highlighting the potential to use this as a diagnostic of the evolving plasma surface. It is shown, via ray-tracing and numerical modelling, that for a laser focal spot diameter smaller than the periodicity of the target structure, the reflected light patterns can potentially be used to diagnose the degree of plasma expansion, and by extension the local plasma temperature, at the focus of the intense laser light. The reflected patterns could also be used to diagnose the size of the laser focal spot during a high-intensity interaction when using a regular structure with known spacing.
基金This paper was supported by the LLNL Academic Partnership in ICF,EPSRC grants EP/L01663X/1 and EP/L000644/1the Czech Republic MSMT targeted support of Large Infrastructures+1 种基金ELI Beamlines Project LQ1606 of the National Programme of Sustainability IIThe contribution of the JIHT RAS team was completed within the framework of the Russian Ministry state assignment for Science and Higher Education(topic#01201357846).
文摘A developing application of laser-driven currents is the generation of magnetic fields of picosecond-nanosecond duration with magnitudes exceeding B=10 T.Single-loop and helical coil targets can direct laser-driven discharge currents along wires to generate spatially uniform,quasi-static magnetic fields on the millimetre scale.Here,we present proton deflectometry across two axes of a single-loop coil ranging from 1 to 2 mm in diameter.Comparison with proton tracking simulations shows that measured magnetic fields are the result of kiloampere currents in the coil and electric charges distributed around the coil target.Using this dual-axis platform for proton deflectometry,robust measurements can be made of the evolution of magnetic fields in a capacitor coil target.
