Anomalous resistivity resulting from MeV-electron transport in overdense plasma

Laser produced hot electron transport in an overdense plasma is studied by three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Hot electron currents into the plasma generate neutralizing return currents in the cold plasma electrons, leading to a configuration which is unstable to electromagnetic Weibel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2003-04, Vol.90 (15), p.155001-155001, Article 155001
Main Authors: Sentoku, Y, Mima, K, Kaw, P, Nishikawa, K
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Laser produced hot electron transport in an overdense plasma is studied by three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. Hot electron currents into the plasma generate neutralizing return currents in the cold plasma electrons, leading to a configuration which is unstable to electromagnetic Weibel and tearing instabilities. The resulting current filaments self-organize through a coalescence process finally settling into a single global current channel. The plasma return current experiences a strong anomalous resistivity due to diffusive flow of cold electrons in the magnetic perturbations. The resulting electrostatic field leads to an anomalously rapid stopping of fast MeV electrons (almost 3 orders of magnitude stronger than that through classical collisional effects).
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.90.155001