Laboratory astroparticle physics

Abstract:

Using fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations, we investigate the stability and performance of autoresonant plasma beat-wave excitation in plasmas with tailored density profiles. We show that a prescribed spatial variation of the background density sustains continuous phase locking between the driving laser beat and the excited plasma mode, thereby enabling precise control of the shape and group velocity of the plasma wavepacket and providing an alternative to frequency chirping of the drive lasers. The density-gradient scale is found to govern the nonlinear autoresonant growth, and the attainable saturation amplitude can exceed the classical Rosenbluth–Liu prediction and, for appropriate laser intensities, approach the nonrelativistic wave-breaking limit. We show that a four-laser configuration in a steep parabolic density profile can generate a specially confined two-phase quasi-periodic plasma lattice. The generation of such structures may lead to novel applications in plasma photonics.

Abstract:

Strong magnetic fields and plasmas are intrinsically linked in both terrestrial laboratory experiments and in space phenomena. One of the most profound consequences of that is the change in relationship between the frequency and the wave number of electromagnetic waves propagating in plasma in the presence of such magnetic fields when compared to the case without these fields. Furthermore, magnetic fields alter electromagnetic wave interaction with relativistic plasma waves, resulting in different outcomes for particle and radiation generation. For a relativistic plasma wave-based photon acceleration this leads to an increased frequency gain and, thus, potentially to higher efficiency. The influence of a magnetic field leads to quantitative and qualitative change in the properties of photon acceleration, amplifying the increase in the electromagnetic wave frequency.

Abstract:

Electron-ion equilibration dynamics in samples driven into superheated states with multi-eV electron temperatures represent a fundamental process in nonequilibrium physics. A clear picture of the evolving ion temperature is essential for understanding the strength of the electron-ion coupling. However, direct, model-independent measurements of the ion temperature in laser-irradiated samples have remained experimentally elusive. Using inelastic X-ray scattering with meV-resolution in gold samples, the ion response to ultrafast heating by the hot electrons can be resolved, quantifying the electron-ion equilibration dynamics. We report measurements revealing a strongly enhanced energy transfer rate compared to that in weakly excited gold. Moreover, we obtain a quasi-constant electron-ion coupling at the highly elevated electron temperatures. These results place new constraints on electron-ion energy transfer in warm dense matter and establish a path toward quantitative benchmarking of models for nonequilibrium dynamics.

Abstract:

The robust diagnosis of conditions generated in warm dense matter experiments remains a persistent challenge. Here, we describe the measurement of shock-compressed aluminium at 50 GPa with angle-resolved femtosecond x-ray Thomson scattering (XRTS) over a wide range of scattering wave vectors at the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser. The measured plasmon dispersion and line shape show that the standard approach for analyzing XRTS spectra, using uniform-electron-gas models, systematically overestimates the resonance energy by up to 8 eV. We present an approach using methods that agrees within the experimental uncertainty and demonstrates how accounting for shock-induced disorder in shock-compressed systems is critical for their understanding, providing evidence that treatments are required for reliable XRTS inference in warm dense aluminium.