Abstract
Magnetized laser-produced plasmas are central to many studies in laboratory astrophysics, in inertial confinement fusion, and in industrial applications. Here, we present the results of large-scale three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the dynamics of a laser-produced plasma expanding into a transverse magnetic field with a strength of tens of teslas. The simulations show the plasma being confined by the strong magnetic field into a slender slab structured by the magnetized Rayleigh–Taylor instability that develops at the plasma–vacuum interface. We find that when the initial velocity of the plume is perturbed, the slab can develop kink-like motions that disrupt its propagation.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONPlasma flows across magnetic fields occur throughout the Universe. The stability and dynamics of such plasma flows are of paramount importance in understanding the deceleration, trapping, and heating of plasmas in magnetic fields
Plasma flows across magnetic fields occur throughout the Universe.1 The stability and dynamics of such plasma flows are of paramount importance in understanding the deceleration, trapping, and heating of plasmas in magnetic fields.Thanks to the development of high-power lasers coupled to high-strength magnetic field devices,2,3 we are able to investigate the interaction between plasmas and strong magnetic fields in the laboratory in a controllable and well-diagnosed environment.4–10 In addition, in the context of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), there is increasing need for a detailed understanding of plasma dynamics in the presence of strong magnetic fields,11–13 such as for crossmagnetic-field transport processes.14As well as the strength of the applied magnetic field, its relative direction plays an important role in the stability and dynamics of these plasmas
The simulations show the plasma being confined by the strong magnetic field into a slender slab structured by the magnetized Rayleigh–Taylor instability that develops at the plasma–vacuum interface
Summary
Plasma flows across magnetic fields occur throughout the Universe. The stability and dynamics of such plasma flows are of paramount importance in understanding the deceleration, trapping, and heating of plasmas in magnetic fields. To the best of our knowledge, the earliest laboratory investigations on this subject can be traced back to the early 1970s,20,21 when the laser energies that could be achieved were up to 2.4 J and the magnetic field strength was ≲6 T In these experiments, both plasma confinement and flow across the magnetic field were observed. The plasma plume was observed to be confined into a slender, rapidly elongating slab, and was structured by the magnetized Rayleigh–Taylor instability (MRTI) In spite of these efforts, a comprehensive study of the 3D dynamics of the plasma over long time and spatial scales is still lacking.
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