Focusing of an Explosive Plasma Expansion in a Transverse Magnetic Field

C. Plechaty, R. Presura, and A. A. Esaulov
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 185002 – Published 31 October 2013

Abstract

The dynamics of a laser ablation plasma expanding in an external magnetic field have been investigated with imaging interferometry and shadowgraphy. The diagnostics reveal a new interaction mechanism, namely, the redirection of the explosive plasma expansion into a converging flow. A comparison with three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulation results supports the observation that the efficient lateral plasma confinement causes the plasma to converge on the axis and initiate a directed flow. The resulting collimated flow propagates across the magnetic field in a kinetic regime, which cannot be modeled within the same framework.

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  • Received 10 October 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.185002

© 2013 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

C. Plechaty*, R. Presura, and A. A. Esaulov

  • University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada 89557, USA

  • *Present address: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA. plechaty5@llnl.gov
  • presura@unr.edu
  • esaulov@unr.edu

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Issue

Vol. 111, Iss. 18 — 1 November 2013

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