Investigation of resistive magnetic field generation by intense proton beams in dense plasmas
Abstract
Current and future applications of intense proton sources abound, including radiography, cancer therapy, warm dense matter generation, and inertial confinement fusion. With increasingly efficient acceleration and focusing mechanisms, proton current densities may soon approach and exceed 1010 A/cm2, e.g., via intense laser drivers. Simulations have previously shown that in this current density regime, beam-induced field generation plays a significant role in beam transport through dense plasmas. Here, we present a theoretical model for the generation of resistive magnetic fields by intense proton beam transport through solid density plasmas. The theoretical evolution of the magnetic field profile is calculated using an analytic model for aluminum resistivity, heat capacity, and stopping power, applicable from cold matter to hot plasma. The effects of various beam and material parameters on the field are investigated and explained for both monoenergetic and Maxwellian proton beams. For a proton beam with Maxwellian temperature 5 MeV and total energy 10 J, the model calculates resistive magnetic fields up to 150 T in aluminum. The calculated field profiles from several beam cases are compared with 2D hybrid particle-in-cell simulations, with good agreement found in magnitude and time scale.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2022
- Source ID
- 10.1063/5.0115717
Entities
People
- Chris Mcguffey
- Farhat Nadeem Beg
- Joohwan Kim
- Krish Bhutwala
- Mark Sherlock
- Mathieu Bailly-Grandvaux
Organizations
- General Atomics
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- University of California