Magnetic field generation by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in laser-driven planar plastic targets

Magnetic fields generated by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability were measured in laser-accelerated planar foils using ultrafast proton radiography. Thin plastic foils were irradiated with ∼4-kJ, 2.5-ns laser pulses focused to an intensity of ∼10(14)  W/cm(2) on the OMEGA EP Laser System. Target modulat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2012-09, Vol.109 (11), p.115001-115001, Article 115001
Main Authors: Gao, L, Nilson, P M, Igumenschev, I V, Hu, S X, Davies, J R, Stoeckl, C, Haines, M G, Froula, D H, Betti, R, Meyerhofer, D D
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Magnetic fields generated by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability were measured in laser-accelerated planar foils using ultrafast proton radiography. Thin plastic foils were irradiated with ∼4-kJ, 2.5-ns laser pulses focused to an intensity of ∼10(14)  W/cm(2) on the OMEGA EP Laser System. Target modulations were seeded by laser nonuniformities and amplified during target acceleration by the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The experimental data show the hydrodynamic evolution of the target and MG-level magnetic fields generated in the broken foil. The experimental data are in good agreement with predictions from 2-D magnetohydrodynamic simulations.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.109.115001