Self Generated Magnetic Fields in Laser-Produced Shock Waves
Abstract
The generation of spontaneous magnetic fields in a plasma produced by a 5.0 Joule, 22 nanosecond laser pulse and the generation of the reversed magnetic fields after several hundred nanoseconds due to the interaction between the laser produced plasma and a background plasma was investigated. The generation of the reversed magnetic fields coincides with the steepening of the expanding plasma front. This steepening is caused by a collisional shock wave which is formed during the interaction of the expanding laser-produced plasma with the photoionized background gas. The analysis of the source term for magnetic field production indicates that the generation of the reverse fields is due to an axial temperature gradient and a radial density gradient. This axial temperture gradient is a result of the heating of the plasma in the collisional shock wave. The width of the shock was measured to be 0.2 cm. The magnitude of the maximum reverse field was measured at 5.0 Torr (H2) background pressure to be 150 Gauss.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA067695
Entities
People
- Cem Yildirim Parlar
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School