Vlasov-Fokker-Planck modeling of magnetic field reconnection driven by heat flow in inertial confinement fusion related scenarios

Abstract

Summary form only given. In the interaction of high power laser beams with solid density plasma, there are a number of magnetic field generating mechanisms that result in very strong fields that can inhibit energy transport. Here, we present 2D numerical modeling of near critical density plasma using a fully implicit Vlasov-Fokker-Planck code, IMPACTA, which includes self-consistent magnetic fields as well as anisotropic electron pressure terms in the expansion of the distribution function. Magnetic field generation and advection by different mechanisms is studied in the context of laser spot heating where reconnection of magnetic field lines may occur. In particular, we compare the relative importance of the Hall, resistivity, and heat flux effects in the magnetic field dynamics of 5 MG oppositely aligned magnetic fields interacting in a plasma of 1 keV temperature with a number density of 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">22</sup> cm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">−3</sup> . The reconnection rate induced by the heat flux effect is compared with collisionless magnetic field reconnection rates.