Cylindrical Magnetic Reconnection Plane in Laser-Plasma Experiment

POSTER

Abstract

A self-magnetized annular plasma collided on its interior with a second self-magnetized plasma bubble, demonstrating magnetic reconnection in the radial direction with rotational symmetry. The reconnecting magnetic fields were measured, and significant density jumps were observed at the collision interface. The experiment was conducted at the OMEGA-EP laser facility, where the colliding plasma flows were driven by UV laser beams of 5x10^13 W/cm^2, and the density and magnetic fields were probed by angular filter refractometry and target-normal-sheat-accelerated-proton radiography, respectively. Results from MHD simulations of the experiment will also be discussed. The results of this experiment given its unique geometry has implications for our understanding of magnetic reconnection in high energy density plasmas.

*The experiment was conducted at the Omega Laser Facility with the beam time through the National Laser Users' Facility (NLUF) (or the Laboratory Basic Science) under the auspices of the U.S. DOE/ NNSA by the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics under Contract DE-NA0003856

Presenters

  • Joshua L Latham

    • University of Michigan

Authors

  • Joshua L Latham

    • University of Michigan

  • Tristan Bachmann

    • University of Rochester

  • Brandon K Russell

    • University of Michigan

  • Paul T Campbell

    • University of Michigan

  • Louise Willingale

    • University of Michigan

  • Louise Willingale

    • University of Michigan

  • Gennady Fiksel

    • University of Michigan

  • Philip M Nilson

    • Lab for Laser Energetics

  • Petros Tzeferacos

    • University of Rochester

  • Karl Michael Krushelnick

    • University of Michigan