Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 255006 (2012) - First Measurements of Rayleigh-Taylor-Induced Magnetic Fields in Laser-Produced Plasmas

First Measurements of Rayleigh-Taylor-Induced Magnetic Fields in Laser-Produced Plasmas

M. J.-E. Manuel, C. K. Li, F. H. Séguin, J. Frenje, D. T. Casey, R. D. Petrasso, S. X. Hu, R. Betti, J. D. Hager, D. D. Meyerhofer, and V. A. Smalyuk

Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 255006 – Published 19 June 2012

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 $100 T μ m$ during the linear growth phase for $120 μ m$ perturbations. Proton fluence modulations were corrected for Coulomb scattering using measured areal density profiles from x-ray radiographs.

Received 9 February 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.255006

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. J.-E. Manuel, C. K. Li, F. H. Séguin, J. Frenje, D. T. Casey, and R. D. Petrasso

Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

S. X. Hu, R. Betti^*, J. D. Hager^†, D. D. Meyerhofer^*, and V. A. Smalyuk^‡

Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA

^*Also at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Physics.
^†Now at State University of New York, Geneseo, NY 14454, USA.
^‡Now at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.

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Issue

Vol. 108, Iss. 25 — 22 June 2012

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