Microbubble implosions in finite hollow spheres

Abstract

Microbubble implosion (MBI) is a recently proposed novel mechanism with many interesting and exciting potential applications. MBI predicts that the inner layers of a spherical target with a hollow cavity can be compressed into a core with a density 105 times that of the solid density. Furthermore, this ultra-compressed core mostly consists of ions. This leads to the generation of ultra-high electric fields, which may be applicable to gamma-ray lensing or pair creation. However, MBI has yet to be studied for finite hollow spheres whose electrons are free to redistribute themselves after being given an initial temperature. This paper studies MBI under finite sphere conditions. Using an electron distribution model, the electron distribution after receiving an initial temperature is studied. Then, the optimal parameters required to fill a hollow cavity with electrons are calculated. The dynamics of MBI is simulated using a hybrid one-dimensional code. The simulation demonstrates that MBI occurs even for finite spheres, and high-density compression is still achievable with this setup. It also shows the optimal target structure, which maximizes ion flashing.