Magnetic field amplification to gigagauss scale via hydrodynamic flows and dynamos driven by femtosecond lasers. (17th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jiang, K; Pukhov, A; Zhou, C T
• Is Part Of: New journal of physics. Volume 23:Number 6(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06-17
• Subjects: laser-plasma -- gigagauss magnetic field -- flux compression -- dynamo -- micro-channel target; Physics -- Periodicals; Physics; Periodicals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ac0573
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-2630

Abstract

Abstract: Reaching gigagauss magnetic fields opens new horizons both in atomic and plasma physics. At these magnetic field strengths, the electron cyclotron energy ℏω c becomes comparable to the atomic binding energy (the Rydberg), and the cyclotron frequency ω c approaches the plasma frequency at solid state densities that significantly modifies optical properties of the target. The generation of such strong quasistatic magnetic fields in laboratory remains a challenge. Using supercomputer simulations, we demonstrate how it can be achieved all-optically by irradiating a micro-channel target by a circularly polarized relativistic femtosecond laser. The laser pulse drives a strong electron vortex along the channel wall, inducing a megagauss longitudinal magnetic field in the channel by the Inverse Faraday Effect. This seed field is then amplified up to a gigagauss level and maintained on a sub-picosecond time scale by the synergistic effect of hydrodynamic flows and dynamos. Our scheme sets a possible platform for producing long living extreme magnetic fields in laboratories using readily available lasers. The concept might also be relevant for applications such as magneto-inertial fusion.