Progress on Laser-Driven MeV Electron-Positron Pair Experiments

ORAL

Abstract

Relativistic electron-positron (pair) plasmas have unique properties due to their mass symmetry and may play an important role in energetic astrophysics. High-energy ps laser-target interactions have produced a large number (1010 – 1012) of positrons in a small volume (< 3 mm3) [1]. We have recently made significant progress in three areas of manipulating and optimizing these relativistic pairs: a) designed a magnetic mirror using pulsed-power-driven 13 T solenoids and validated the effectiveness of  the magnetic mirror by trapping MeV pairs for ns-timescales [2]; b) created a collimated charge-neutral pair beam [3] using a magnetic lens; c) realized pair yield enhancement by a factor of 2 using a micro-structured target [4]. These results and future plans will be presented. 

References

[1] H. Chen, et al., PRL (2015); H. Chen, et al., Phys. Plasmas (2015).

[2] J. von der Linden, et al, Phys. Plasmas, in review (2021)

[3] J. Peebles, et al., Phys. Plasmas, 28, 074501 (2021)

[4] S. Jiang, et al., Applied Phys. Lett. 118, 094101 (2021)

*This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. DOE by LLNS, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC52-07NA27344 and funded by the LLNL LDRD program (20-LW-021).

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Presenters

  • Hui Chen

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • LLNL

Authors

  • Hui Chen

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • LLNL

  • Matthew R Edwards

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Gennady Fiksel

    • University of Michigan

  • Sheng Jiang

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Jens Von Der Linden

    • IPP
    • Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
    • Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Garching, Germany

  • Andrew M Longman

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab
    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Jonathan L Peebles

    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics
    • Lab for Laser Energetics
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester
    • Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester
    • University of Rochester

  • Louise Willingale

    • University of Michigan