Berlin 2005 – scientific programme
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P: Plasmaphysik
P 9: Schwerionen- und lasererzeugte Plasmen 1
P 9.2: Talk
Saturday, March 5, 2005, 09:00–09:15, HU 3059
Study of electron beam propagation in dense plasmas — •Ralph Jung1, Jens Osterholz1, Krischan Löwenbrück1, Sergey Kiselev1, Alexander Pukhov1, Georg Pretzler1, Oswald Willi1, Satyabrata Kar2, Marco Borghesi2, Stefan Karsch3, Robert Clarke3, David Neely3, and Wigen Nazarov4 — 1Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf — 2Queens University of Belfast — 3Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK — 4University of Dundee, UK
The generation and transport of relativistic electron beams is a field of topical interest, in particular for the fast ignitor scheme relevant for inertial confinement fusion. We have studied the propagation of laser accelerated electrons in dense plasmas. Aluminium- and foam targets with various thicknesses were irradiated with the Petawatt laser beam at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK). The electron beam is investigated by observing the coherent transition radiation (CTR) generated at the target rear side. A decrease of CTR intensity for the thicker targets is observed and explained by dephasing of the electron bunches as they propagate through the plasma. For the foam targets, a break-up of the electron beam into filamentary structures is evident, showing that the relativistic electron beam is sensitive to Weibel type instabilities due to counter propagating current of cold electrons. The experimental results are consistent with 3D PIC simulations.