Splitter target for controlling magnetic reconnection in relativistic laser plasma interactions

0500878 - FZÚ 2019 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Gu, Yanjun - Bulanov, S.S. - Korn, Georg - Bulanov, Sergey V.
Splitter target for controlling magnetic reconnection in relativistic laser plasma interactions.
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion. Roč. 60, č. 4 (2018), s. 1-6, č. článku 044020. ISSN 0741-3335. E-ISSN 1361-6587
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT EF15_003/0000449; GA MŠMT EF16_013/0001793
Grant - others:OP VVV - HiFi(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449; OP VVV - ELITAS(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001793
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : magnetic reconnection * acceleration of charged particles * relativistic laser plasmas
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 2.799, year: 2018

The utilization of a conical target irradiated by a high power laser is proposed to study fast magnetic reconnection in relativistic plasma interactions. Such target, placed in front of the near critical density gas jet, splits the laser pulse, forming two parallel laser pulses in the 2D case and a donut shaped pulse in the 3D case. The magnetic annihilation and reconnection occur in the density downramp region of the subsequent gas jet. The magnetic field energy is converted into the particle kinetic energy. As a result, a backward accelerated electron beam is obtained as a signature of reconnection. The above mechanisms are demonstrated using particle-in-cell simulations in both 2D and 3D cases. Facilitating the synchronization of two laser beams, the proposed approach can be used in designing the corresponding experiments on studying fundamental problems of relativistic plasma physics.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0292928