Measuring E and B fields in laser-produced plasmas with monoenergetic proton radiography.
Electromagnetic (E/B) fields generated by the interaction with plasmas of long-pulse, low-intensity laser beams relevant to inertial confinement fusion have been measured for the first time using novel monoenergetic proton radiography methods. High-resolution, time-gated radiography images of a plastic foil driven by a 10(14) W/cm(2) laser implied B fields of approximately 0.5 MG and E fields of approximately 1.5 x 10(8) V/m. Simulations of these experiments with LASNEX+LSP have been performed and are in overall (though not exact) agreement with the data both for field strengths and for spatial distributions; this is the first direct experimental test of the laser-generated B-field package in LASNEX. The experiments also demonstrated that laser phase plates substantially reduce medium-scale chaotic field structure.
Li
C K
CK
Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Séguin
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Frenje
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Rygg
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Petrasso
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Town
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Amendt
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Hatchett
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Landen
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Mackinnon
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Patel
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Smalyuk
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Sangster
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Knauer
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