title: Scaling of resistive guiding of laser-driven fast-electron currents in solid targets.
abstract: The resistive magnetic field plays a crucial role in determining the laser produced fast-electron transport in solid targets. The scaling of the resistive guiding is derived and benchmarked against two-dimensional collisional particle-in-cell simulations. We study the impact of the initial state of the material (Z dependence, conductor, or insulator) on global electron-transport patterns, and conclude that the initial state of a conductor or insulator is not important. Instead, global transport patterns depend on the material Z. The fast-electron transport seen in the simulations is consistent with the derived scaling rule. Previous experimental observations [e.g., R. B. Stephens et al., Phys. Rev. E 69, 066414 (2004) and Y. Sentoku et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 135005 (2011)] that show confinement or divergence in various regimes are also explained by our scaling. The presented scaling then becomes a useful tool to design compact radiation sources or fast ignitor experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sentoku
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004583:Electrons; D007834:Lasers; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D008956:Models, Chemical; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases