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High Repetition Rate Study of Biermann Battery Generated Magnetic Fields in Laser Produced Plasmas

ORAL

Abstract

The Biermann Battery effect is a mechanism of spontaneous magnetic field generation in both astrophysical phenomena and laser produced plasmas (LPPs). This effect is caused by non-parallel temperature and density gradients within a plasma, represented in the magnetohydrodynamic framework by the baroclinic term in the induction equation, c/(ene)▽Te Χ ▽ne. In this talk we present a high repetition rate (~1 Hz) laboratory astrophysics experiment examining the spatial structure and evolution of Biermann generated magnetic fields in LPPs. Our measurements show azimuthally symmetric magnetic fields with peak values of 60 G in our closest measurements, 0.7 cm from the target surface. Optical Thomson scattering measurements give values for the electron temperature and density of the LPP on axis of Te = 10 ± 2 eV and ne = (5.55 ± 1) Χ 1016 cm-3 respectively. The effects of background gasses on Biermann generated fields are also discussed.

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Publication: Pilgram, J.J. and Adams, M. B. P. and Constantin, C. G. and Heuer, P. V. and Ghazaryan, S. and Kaloyan, M. and Dorst, R. S. and Schaeffer, D. B. and Tzeferacos, P. and Niemann, C., "High Repetition Rate Exploration of the Biermann Battery Effect in Laser Produced Plasmas Over Large Spatial Regions", High Power Laser Science and Engineering, Cambridge University Press, 2022, p.1–11, 10.1017/hpl.2022.2

Presenters

  • Jessica J Pilgram

    University of California, Los Angeles

Authors

  • Jessica J Pilgram

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Carmen G Constantin

    University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA

  • Marissa B Adams

    University of Rochester

  • Robert S Dorst

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Peter V Heuer

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

  • Marietta Kaloyan

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Sofiya Ghazaryan

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • Derek B Schaeffer

    Princeton University

  • Petros Tzeferacos

    University of Rochester, Univ of Rochester

  • Christoph Niemann

    University of California, Los Angeles