PIC Simulations of particle energization during magnetic reconnection of laser produced plasma bubbles

POSTER

Abstract

We perform and analyze particle-in-cell simulations of colliding laser-produced plasma bubbles. These end-to-end simulations model generation and heating of the bubbles, which by means of the Biermann battery effect self-consistently generate magnetic fields. The anti-parallel fields then collide and reconnect. Previous 2-D simulations in the reconnection plane demonstrate the formation of an energized electron population during reconnection [W. Fox, PoP 24, 092901 (2017)]. Here we expand the calculations to the full 3-D evolution of colliding plasmas to determine the conditions required in this more complete system to accelerate particles. We also investigate the effect of a pre-heated electron population on particle energization. Simulations are performed using the GPU-enabled PSC particle-in-cell code on ORNL's Summit supercomputer.

Authors

  • Kai Germaschewski

    • Univ of New Hampshire
    • University of New Hampshire

  • John Donaghy

    • Univ of New Hampshire

  • W Fox

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
    • PPPL

  • D.B. Schaeffer

    • Princeton University
    • Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
    • Princeton, University of California, Los Angeles
    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
    • Dept. of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University
    • Princeton
    • Princeton University, Princeton Center for Heliophysics

  • Amitava Bhattacharjee

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
    • Princeton University
    • Princeton University/PPPL

  • Jack Matteucci

    • Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
    • Princeton University

  • Gennady Fiksel

    • University of Michigan
    • Center for Ultrafast Optical Science, U. Michigan
    • Univ of Michigan - Ann Arbor