Multibeam effects on fast-electron generation from two-plasmon-decay instability.
Experiments with multiple laser beams have been carried out in both spherical and planar geometry to study two-plasmon-decay instability, the predominant source of suprathermal electrons in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion experiments. These electrons are observed using the hard x rays generated through electron-target interactions. The experiments show for the first time that the total overlapped intensity governs the scaling of the suprathermal-electron generation regardless of the number of overlapped beams, in contrast to conventional theories that are based on the single-beam approximation.
Stoeckl
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C
Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14623-1299, USA.
Bahr
R E
RE
Yaakobi
B
B
Seka
W
W
Regan
S P
SP
Craxton
R S
RS
Delettrez
J A
JA
Short
R W
RW
Myatt
J
J
Maximov
A V
AV
Baldis
H
H