Laser-driven magnetic-flux compression in high-energy-density plasmas.

The demonstration of magnetic field compression to many tens of megagauss in cylindrical implosions of inertial confinement fusion targets is reported for the first time. The OMEGA laser [T. R.

Detailed particle-in-cell simulations on the transport of a relativistic electron beam in plasmas.

We present comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations on the transport of a relativistic electron beam in a plasma in the context of fast ignition fusion. The 2D PIC simulations are performed by constructing two different simulation planes and have shown the complete stabilization and destabilization of the Weibel instability due to the beam temperature and background plasma collisions, respectively. Some three-dimensional PIC simulation results on the filamentary structures are also shown thereby further shedding light on the filamentation of the electron beam in plasmas.

Collision-driven negative-energy waves and the weibel instability of a relativistic electron beam in a quasineutral plasma.

A new model describing the Weibel instability of a relativistic electron beam propagating through a resistive plasma is developed. For finite-temperature beams, a new class of negative-energy magnetosound waves is identified, whose growth due to collisional dissipation destabilizes the beam-plasma system even for high beam temperatures. We perform 2D and 3D particle-in-cell simulations and show that in 3D geometry the Weibel instability persists even for collisionless background plasma.

Merging of super-Alfvénic current filaments during collisionless Weibel instability of relativistic electron beams.

The theoretical framework predicting the long-term evolution, structure, and coalescence energetics of current filaments during the Weibel instability of an electron beam in a collisionless plasma is developed. We emphasize the nonlinear stage of the instability, during which the beam density of filaments increases to the background ion density, and the ambient plasma electrons are fully expelled from the filaments. Our analytic and numerical results demonstrate that the beam filaments can carry super-Alfvénic currents and develop hollow-current density profiles.

Novel techniques of laser acceleration: from structures to plasmas.

Compact accelerators of the future will require enormous accelerating gradients that can only be generated using high power laser beams. Two novel techniques of laser particle acceleration are discussed. The first scheme is based on a solid-state accelerating structure powered by a short pulse CO(2) laser.