Energy deposition of fast electrons in dense magnetized plasmas

Abstract

Mechanisms of fast electron energy deposition in dense magnetized plasma are studied by hybrid particle-in-cell/fluid simulations. It is found that the energy deposition ratio of Ohmic heating and collisional heating can be enhanced significantly as an Al target is presented in a strongly axial magnetic field, attributed to the fast electrons rotating around the axial field. The weight of Ohmic heating is increased with laser intensity during ultraintense laser-driven fast electrons propagating both in magnetized and unmagnetized solid targets, which is the dominant heating mechanism as the laser intensity is greater than 1018 W/cm2 compared to the collisional heating. The degree of the axial magnetic field effect on the fast electron energy deposition mechanisms is dependent on target materials, which is much weaker for low-Z targets, such as CH2. The results here should be helpful for the target designing of fast electron applications.