Particle-in-cell simulations of electron energization in laser-driven magnetic reconnection

Lu, San; Lu, Quanming; Guo, Fan; Sheng, Zheng-Ming; Wang, Huanyu; Wang, Shui

doi:10.1088/1367-2630/18/1/013051

Cited by 17 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…For example, three well-collimated high-speed electron jets were observed in the fanlike outflow region in experiments [6,14], which are consistent with the signatures of MR simulations [15]. Fully kinetic particle simulations showed that fast reconnection in these strongly driven systems can be explained by magnetic flux pileup at the shoulder of the current sheet [16]. However, most of the simulations did not include the laser-plasma interaction stages, by simply assuming that two bubbles with high energy electron currents start to evolve in a background plasma.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 60%

“…With the development of ultrashort high power laser technologies, petawatt lasers with picosecond to femtosecond durations are available nowadays. This makes it possible to investigate fast magnetic field generation and dissipation under even higher quasi-static magnetic fields over 100 MG by the relativistic intense lasers interaction with plasmas [2,[16][17][18] or by the interaction of high current relativistic electron beams with plasmas [19,20].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Magnetic field annihilation and reconnection driven by femtosecond lasers in inhomogeneous plasma

Wang

Chen

et al. 2017

Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron.

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The process of fast magnetic reconnection driven by intense ultra-short laser pulses in underdense plasma is investigated by particle-in-cell simulations. In the wakefield of such laser pulses, quasi-static magnetic fields at a few mega-Gauss are generated due to nonvanishing cross product ∆(n /γ) × p. Excited in an inhomogeneous plasma of decreasing density, the quasi-static magnetic field structure is shown to drift quickly both in lateral and longitudinal directions. When two parallel-propagating laser pulses with close focal spot separation are used, such field drifts can develop into magnetic reconnection (annihilation) in their overlapping region, resulting in the conversion of magnetic energy to kinetic energy of particles. The reconnection rate is found to be much higher than the value obtained in the Hall magnetic reconnection model. Our work proposes a potential way to study magnetic reconnection-related physics with short-pulse lasers of terawatt peak power only

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic field annihilation and reconnection driven by femtosecond lasers in inhomogeneous plasma

Wang

Chen

et al. 2017

Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron.

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“…Previous simulations have considered the reconnection in parameter regimes of HEDP plasmas, and with model geometries of colliding bubbles to assess reconnection mechanisms and particle acceleration. Simulations have demonstrated the role of flux pile-up [36], the breakup of the current sheet into multiple islands at large system size [37], and have documented mechanisms for generating electron jets and accelerating particles [38,43,51,52]. Recent kinetic simulations have also studied Biermannbattery magnetic field generation in collisionless plasmas with model initial conditions [53].…”

Section: Magnetic Field Generation and Evolution In Laser-drivenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetic simulation of magnetic field generation and collisionless shock formation in expanding laboratory plasmas

et al. 2018

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Recent laboratory experiments with laser-produced plasmas have observed and studied a number of fundamental physical processes relevant to magnetized astrophysical plasmas, including magnetic reconnection, collisionless shocks, and magnetic field generation by Weibel instability, opening up new experimental platforms for laboratory astrophysics. We develop a fully kinetic simulation model for first-principles simulation of these systems including the dynamics of magnetic fieldsmagnetic field generation by the Biermann battery effect or Weibel instability; advection by the ion flow, Hall effect, and Nernst effect; and destruction of the field by dissipative mechanisms. Key dimensionless parameters describing the system are derived for scaling between kinetic simulation, recent experiments, and astrophysical plasmas. First, simulations are presented which model Biermann battery magnetic field generation in plasmas expanding from a thin target. Ablation of two neighboring plumes leads to the formation of a current sheet as the opposing Biermann-generated fields collide, modeling recent laser-driven magnetic reconnection experiments. Second, we simulate recent experiments on collisionless magnetized shock generation, by expanding a piston plasma into a pre-magnetized ambient plasma. For parameters considered, the Biermann effect generates additional magnetic fields in the curved shock front and thereby increases shock particle reflection. Both cases show the importance of kinetic processes in the interaction of plasmas with magnetic fields, and open opportunities to benchmark these important processes through comparison of theory and experiments.

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“…The reason is that the shorter rising time will result in a faster expansion of the magnetic bubbles. During the expansion, particles are reflected and accelerated by the magnetic bubbles; they can also get Fermi acceleration when trapped between the two approaching bubbles, 40 and the acceleration will be more significant when the expanding speed becomes larger. 27 This process will lead to a stronger dissipation of the magnetic energy and smoothens the magnetic gradient in the reconnection upstream.…”

Section: -4mentioning

confidence: 99%

Particle-in-cell simulations of magnetically driven reconnection using laser-powered capacitor coils

Huang

Gao

et al. 2018

Physics of Plasmas

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In this paper, we propose an experimental scheme to fulfill magnetically driven reconnections. Here, two laser beams are focused on a capacitor-coil target and then strong currents are wired in two parallel circular coils. Magnetic reconnection occurs between the two magnetic bubbles created by the currents in the two parallel circular coils. A two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation model in the cylindrical coordinate is used to investigate such a process, and the simulations are performed in the ðr; zÞ plane. The results show that with the increase of the currents in the two coils, the associated magnetic bubbles expand and a current sheet is formed between the two bubbles. Magnetic reconnection occurs when the current sheet is sufficiently thin. A quadrupole structure of the magnetic field in the h direction (B h) is generated in the diffusion region and a strong electron current along the r direction (J er) is also formed due to the existence of the high-speed electron flow away from the X line in the center of the outflow region. Because the X line is a circle along the h direction, the convergence of the plasma flow around r ¼ 0 will lead to the asymmetry of J er and B h between the two outflow regions of magnetic reconnection.

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Particle-in-cell simulations of electron energization in laser-driven magnetic reconnection

Cited by 17 publications

References 52 publications

Magnetic field annihilation and reconnection driven by femtosecond lasers in inhomogeneous plasma

Magnetic field annihilation and reconnection driven by femtosecond lasers in inhomogeneous plasma

Kinetic simulation of magnetic field generation and collisionless shock formation in expanding laboratory plasmas

Particle-in-cell simulations of magnetically driven reconnection using laser-powered capacitor coils

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