title: First measurements of Rayleigh-Taylor-induced magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas.
abstract: The first experimental demonstration of Rayleigh-Taylor-induced magnetic fields due to the Biermann battery effect has been made. Experiments with laser-irradiated plastic foils were performed to investigate these illusive fields using a monoenergetic proton radiography system. Path-integrated B field strength measurements were inferred from radiographs and found to increase from 10 to 100 T μm during the linear growth phase for 120 μm perturbations. Proton fluence modulations were corrected for Coulomb scattering using measured areal density profiles from x-ray radiographs.
authors.affiliation: Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: M J-E
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Séguin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frenje
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Petrasso
authors.forename: S X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Betti
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Hager
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Meyerhofer
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Smalyuk