Theory of ionization-induced trapping in laser-plasma accelerators

M. Chen, E. Esarey, C. B. Schroeder, C. G. R. Geddes, and W. P. Leemans

Laser-plasma accelerators are able to maintain very large acceleration gradients, which allows for compact accelerating structures. This paper theoretically examines ionization injection by a single laser pulse propagating through a gas mixture in a laser-plasma accelerator.

Phys. Plasmas 19, 033101 (2012)

Transport coefficients in strongly coupled plasmas

Scott D. Baalrud

The conventional calculation of fluid transport coefficients has been generalized to include large angle collisions, which are important for correlated plasmas. Using this method, the friction and energy exchange densities in plasmas with flowing Maxwellian distributions are determined and are similar to those in weakly coupled plasmas, but a generalized Coulomb logarithm is required.

Phys. Plasmas 19, 030701 (2012)

The structure of the magnetic reconnection exhaust boundary

Yi-Hsin Liu, J. F. Drake, and M. Swisdak

Particle-in-cell simulations and modeling and companion Riemann simulations are used to investigate the structure of shocks that form at the exhaust boundaries during collisionless reconnection of anti-parallel fields. The pressure anisotropy produced by counterstreaming ions within the exhaust prevents the development of classical Petschek switch-off-slow shocks (SSS); the shock structure that does develop is controlled by the firehose parameter ɛ.

Phys. Plasmas 19, 022110 (2012)

Fusion reactions from >150 keV ions in a dense plasma focus plasmoid

Eric J. Lerner, S. Krupakar Murali, Derek Shannon, Aaron M. Blake, and Fred Van Roessel

This paper details fusion reactions by using deuterium ions that have record energies of greater than 150 keV and a dense plasma focus device. For the first time, the simultaneous imaging of the plasmoid and measuring trapped ion energy and neutron anisotropy were done and the results should be relevant for the development of aneutronic fusion.

Phys. Plasmas 19, 032704 (2012)

Observation of the Taylor instability in a dusty plasma

K. A. Pacha, J. R. Heinrich, S.-H. Kim, and R. L. Merlino

The Taylor instability in a dusty plasma is examined in this paper and found to be similar to the hydrodynamic Taylor instability that occurs when a light fluid is accelerated into a heavy fluid.

Phys. Plasmas 19, 014501 (2012)