Electron probing of electromagnetic fields generated by intense laser pulses interacting with a liquid jet target

POSTER

Abstract

Recent results have demonstrated the feasibility of using electron beams from a Laser Wakefield Accelerator (LWFA) to measure electric and magnetic fields on ultrafast timescales. In this work, we use the ultrafast LWFA electron beam from the BELLA HTW system to probe the interaction of a longer-pulse laser (t ~ 200 ps, E ~ 1 J, I ~ 1014 W/cm2) with a cylindrical water jet at 1 Hz repetition rate. We also investigate the implementation of beam optics to manipulate the probe divergence while preserving good imaging properties. By varying the relative delay, the electron probe images reveal the dynamics of electromagnetic fields generated during the laser-water interaction. In particular, the images initially capture an ionization channel through the water vapor along the laser trajectory, followed by evidence of rapid heating and ablation of the liquid target. The electron probing results help explain some of the discrepancies observed between hydrodynamics simulations and experimental measurements. Additionally, these results show that electron probing can be used to help diagnose kinetic effects and non-equilibrium conditions in high-energy-density plasmas.

*Work supported by LaserNetUS and US DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences under grant #DE-SC0020237, as well as U.S. Department of Energy NNSA Center of Excellence under cooperative agreement number DE-NA0003869, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under subcontract B645096 and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory under DOE contract DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Presenters

  • Paul T Campbell

    • University of Michigan

Authors

  • Paul T Campbell

    • University of Michigan

  • Mario Balcazar

    • University of Michigan

  • Hai-En Tsai

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Tobias Ostermayr

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Qiang Chen

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Benjamin Greenwood

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Matthew Trantham

    • University of Michigan

  • Sahel Hakimi

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Robert E Jacob

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Yong Ma

    • University of Michigan

  • Paul M King

    • University of Texas at Austin

  • Raspberry Simpson

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Elizabeth S Grace

    • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

  • Brenden Kettle

    • Imperial College London

  • Eva E Los

    • Imperial College London

  • Felicie Albert

    • Lawrence Livermore Natl Lab

  • Jeroen v van Tilborg

    • Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
    • Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Stuart P.D. Mangles

    • Imperial College London

  • John Nees

    • University of Michigan
    • UM

  • Eric H Esarey

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Cameron Geddes

    • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  • Alexander G Thomas

    • University of Michigan

  • Carolyn C Kuranz

    • University of Michigan