title: Simulation of heating-compressed fast-ignition cores by petawatt laser-generated electrons.
abstract: We report on unique particle-in-cell simulations to understand the relativistic electron beam thermalization and subsequent heating of highly compressed plasmas. The simulations yield heated core parameters in good agreement with the GEKKO-PW experimental measurements, given reasonable assumptions of laser-to-electron coupling efficiency and the distribution function of laser-produced electrons. The classical range of the hot electrons exceeds the mass density-core diameter product rhoL by a factor of several. Anomalous stopping appears to be present and is created by the growth and saturation of an electromagnetic filamentation mode that generates a strong back-EMF impeding hot electrons on the injection side of the density maxima.
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, USA.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Mehlhorn
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Welch