Ultrafast Thomson Scattering and the Effects of Collisions on the Electron Plasma Wave Feature

ORAL

Abstract

Thomson-scattering spectra from collisional electron plasma waves were measured in an underdense (∼1019 cm–3) H2 plasma irradiated by a 60-ps, 1053-nm laser pulse with an intensity of ∼2 × 1014 W/cm2. The picosecond-resolved spectra were obtained with a novel pulse-front–tilt compensated streaked optical spectrometer. The Thomson scattering spectrum provides a measure of the electron temperature and density and show that the temperature heats from 5 eV to 20 eV over the first 20 ps. Over this time the density increases from 0.8 × 1019 cm–3 to its plateau at 1.1 × 1019 cm–3. The temperature plateaus after 40 ps at ∼100 eV. The Thomson spectra have been compared to a collisionless Thomson-scattering model, a Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook model, and a solution of the Landau kinetic equation that includes collision integrals.

–

Presenters

  • A. S. Davies

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

Authors

  • A. S. Davies

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

  • Joe Katz

    University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Univ of Rochester, University of Rochester

  • S. Bucht

    Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • Daniel J Haberberger

    University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Univ of Rochester LLE, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Univ of Rochester

  • W. Rozmus

    Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, University of Alberta, Univ of Alberta, Department of Physics, U. of Alberta

  • John P. Palastro

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

  • Ildar A. Begishev

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

  • Jessie L. Shaw

    University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, NY, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester

  • David Turnbull

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

  • Robert Boni

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

  • Dustin H Froula

    University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Univ of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, U. of Rochester, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, University of Rochester