In the 2015 review paper‘Petawatt Class Lasers Worldwide’a comprehensive overview of the current status of highpower facilities of>200 TW was presented.This was largely based on facility specifications,with some ...In the 2015 review paper‘Petawatt Class Lasers Worldwide’a comprehensive overview of the current status of highpower facilities of>200 TW was presented.This was largely based on facility specifications,with some description of their uses,for instance in fundamental ultra-high-intensity interactions,secondary source generation,and inertial confinement fusion(ICF).With the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded to Professors Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou for the development of the technique of chirped pulse amplification(CPA),which made these lasers possible,we celebrate by providing a comprehensive update of the current status of ultra-high-power lasers and demonstrate how the technology has developed.We are now in the era of multi-petawatt facilities coming online,with 100 PW lasers being proposed and even under construction.In addition to this there is a pull towards development of industrial and multi-disciplinary applications,which demands much higher repetition rates,delivering high-average powers with higher efficiencies and the use of alternative wavelengths:mid-IR facilities.So apart from a comprehensive update of the current global status,we want to look at what technologies are to be deployed to get to these new regimes,and some of the critical issues facing their development.展开更多
ELI-Beamlines(ELI-BL),one of the three pillars of the Extreme Light Infrastructure endeavour,will be in a unique position to perform research in high-energy-density-physics(HEDP),plasma physics and ultra-high intensit...ELI-Beamlines(ELI-BL),one of the three pillars of the Extreme Light Infrastructure endeavour,will be in a unique position to perform research in high-energy-density-physics(HEDP),plasma physics and ultra-high intensity(UHI)ð>10^(22) W=cm^(2)) lasereplasma interaction.Recently the need for HED laboratory physics was identified and the P3(plasma physics platform)installation under construction in ELI-BL will be an answer.The ELI-BL 10 PW laser makes possible fundamental research topics from high-field physics to new extreme states of matter such as radiation-dominated ones,high-pressure quantum ones,warm dense matter(WDM)and ultra-relativistic plasmas.HEDP is of fundamental importance for research in the field of laboratory astrophysics and inertial confinement fusion(ICF).Reaching such extreme states of matter now and in the future will depend on the use of plasma optics for amplifying and focusing laser pulses.This article will present the relevant technological infrastructure being built in ELI-BL for HEDP and UHI,and gives a brief overview of some research under way in the field of UHI,laboratory astrophysics,ICF,WDM,and plasma optics.展开更多
Advanced X-ray spectroscopic methods provide unique and critical data to study matter under extreme environmental conditions induced by high-intensity and high-energy lasers.The aim of this paper is to contribute to a...Advanced X-ray spectroscopic methods provide unique and critical data to study matter under extreme environmental conditions induced by high-intensity and high-energy lasers.The aim of this paper is to contribute to a contemporary discussion of the role of X-ray spectroscopy in the investigation of radiative properties of strongly coupled,highly correlated,and frequently weakly emissive plasma systems formed in matter irradiated by sub-petawatt and petawatt class lasers.After reviewing the properties of different X-ray crystal spectrometers,high-resolution X-ray diagnostic methods are surveyed with respect to their potential to study plasmainduced and externally induced radiation fields,suprathermal electrons,and strong electromagnetic field effects.Atomic physics in dense plasmas is reviewed with emphasis on non-Maxwellian non-LTE atomic kinetics,quasi-stationary and highly-transient conditions,hollow ion X-ray emission,and field-perturbed atoms and ions.Finally,we discuss the role of X-ray free electron lasers with respect to supplementary investigations of matter under extreme conditions via the use of controlled high-intensity radiation fields.展开更多
The physics of laser-plasma interaction is studied on the Shenguang III prototype laser facility under conditions relevant to inertial confinement fusion designs.A sub-millimeter-size underdense hot plasma is created ...The physics of laser-plasma interaction is studied on the Shenguang III prototype laser facility under conditions relevant to inertial confinement fusion designs.A sub-millimeter-size underdense hot plasma is created by ionization of a low-density plastic foam by four high-energy(3.2 kJ)laser beams.An interaction beam is fired with a delay permitting evaluation of the excitation of parametric instabilities at different stages of plasma evolution.Multiple diagnostics are used for plasma characterization,scattered radiation,and accelerated electrons.The experimental results are analyzed with radiation hydrodynamic simulations that take account of foam ionization and homogenization.The measured level of stimulated Raman scattering is almost one order of magnitude larger than that measured in experiments with gasbags and hohlraums on the same installation,possibly because of a greater plasma density.Notable amplification is achieved in high-intensity speckles,indicating the importance of implementing laser temporal smoothing techniques with a large bandwidth for controlling laser propagation and absorption.展开更多
Comprehensive understanding and possible control of parametric instabilities in the context of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) remains achallenging task. The details of the absorption processes and the detrimental e...Comprehensive understanding and possible control of parametric instabilities in the context of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) remains achallenging task. The details of the absorption processes and the detrimental effects of hot electrons on the implosion process require as mucheffort on the experimental side as on the theoretical and simulation side. This paper describes a proposal for experimental studies on nonlinearinteraction of intense laser pulses with a high-temperature plasma under conditions corresponding to direct-drive ICF schemes. We propose todevelop a platform for laser-plasma interaction studies based on foam targets. Parametric instabilities are sensitive to the bulk plasma temperatureand the density scale length. Foam targets are sufficiently flexible to allow control of these parameters. However, investigationsconducted on small laser facilities cannot be extrapolated in a reliable way to real fusion conditions. It is therefore necessary to performexperiments at a multi-kilojoule energy level on medium-scale facilities such asOMEGAor SG-III. An example of two-plasmon decay instabilityexcited in the interaction of two laser beams is considered.展开更多
The role of the coronal electron plasma temperature for shock-ignition conditions is analysed with respect to the dominant parametric processes: stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, two-plasmo...The role of the coronal electron plasma temperature for shock-ignition conditions is analysed with respect to the dominant parametric processes: stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, two-plasmon decay(TPD), Langmuir decay instability(LDI) and cavitation. TPD instability and cavitation are sensitive to the electron temperature. At the same time the reflectivity and high-energy electron production are strongly affected. For low plasma temperatures the LDI plays a dominant role in the TPD saturation. An understanding of laser–plasma interaction in the context of shock ignition is an important issue due to the localization of energy deposition by collective effects and hot electron production.This in turn can have consequences for the compression phase and the resulting gain factor of the implosion phase.展开更多
A new approach to target development for laboratory astrophysics experiments at high-power laser facilities is presented.With the dawn of high-power lasers,laboratory astrophysics has emerged as a field,bringing insig...A new approach to target development for laboratory astrophysics experiments at high-power laser facilities is presented.With the dawn of high-power lasers,laboratory astrophysics has emerged as a field,bringing insight into physical processes in astrophysical objects,such as the formation of stars.An important factor for success in these experiments is targetry.To date,targets have mainly relied on expensive and challenging microfabrication methods.The design presented incorporates replaceable machined parts that assemble into a structure that defines the experimental geometry.This can make targets cheaper and faster to manufacture,while maintaining robustness and reproducibility.The platform is intended for experiments on plasma flows,but it is flexible and may be adapted to the constraints of other experimental setups.Examples of targets used in experimental campaigns are shown,including a design for insertion in a high magnetic field coil.Experimental results are included,demonstrating the performance of the targets.展开更多
The recent achievement of fusion ignition with laser-driven technologies at the National Ignition Facility sets a historic accomplishment in fusion energy research.This accomplishment paves the way for using laser ine...The recent achievement of fusion ignition with laser-driven technologies at the National Ignition Facility sets a historic accomplishment in fusion energy research.This accomplishment paves the way for using laser inertial fusion as a viable approach for future energy production.Europe has a unique opportunity to empower research in this field internationally,and the scientific community is eager to engage in this journey.We propose establishing a European programme on inertial-fusion energy with the mission to demonstrate laser-driven ignition in the direct-drive scheme and to develop pathway technologies for the commercial fusion reactor.The proposed roadmap is based on four complementary axes:(ⅰ)the physics of laser-plasma interaction and burning plasmas;(ⅱ)high-energy high repetition rate laser technology;(ⅲ)fusion reactor technology and materials;and(ⅳ)reinforcement of the laser fusion community by international education and training programmes.We foresee collaboration with universities,research centres and industry and establishing joint activities with the private sector involved in laser fusion.This project aims to stimulate a broad range of high-profile industrial developments in laser,plasma and radiation technologies along with the expected high-level socio-economic impact.展开更多
The use of the Laser MegaJoule facility within the shock ignition scheme has been considered. In the first part of the study, one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations were performed for an inertial confinement fusion...The use of the Laser MegaJoule facility within the shock ignition scheme has been considered. In the first part of the study, one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations were performed for an inertial confinement fusion capsule in the context of the shock ignition scheme providing the energy gain and an estimation of the increase of the peak power due to the reduction of the photon penetration expected during the high-intensity spike pulse. In the second part, we considered a Laser MegaJoule configuration consisting of 176 laser beams that have been grouped providing two different irradiation schemes. In this configuration the maximum available energy and power are 1.3 MJ and 440 TW. Optimization of the laser–capsule parameters that minimize the irradiation non-uniformity during the first few ns of the foot pulse has been performed. The calculations take into account the specific elliptical laser intensity profile provided at the Laser MegaJoule and the expected beam uncertainties. A significant improvement of the illumination uniformity provided by the polar direct drive technique has been demonstrated. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations have been performed in order to analyse the magnitude of the azimuthal component of the irradiation that is neglected in twodimensional hydrodynamic simulations.展开更多
High-energyγ-photon generation via nonlinear Compton scattering and electron–positron pair creation via the Breit–Wheeler process driven by laser–plasma interaction are modeled,and a number of mechanisms are propo...High-energyγ-photon generation via nonlinear Compton scattering and electron–positron pair creation via the Breit–Wheeler process driven by laser–plasma interaction are modeled,and a number of mechanisms are proposed.Owing to the small cross section,these processes require both an ultra-intense laser field and a relativistic electron bunch.The extreme conditions for such scenarios can be achieved through recent developments in laser technology.Photon emission via nonlinear Thomson and Compton scattering has been observed experimentally.Highenergy positron beams generated via a multiphoton process have recently been observed too.This paper reviews the principles ofγ-ray emission and e+e−pair creation in the context of laser–plasma interaction.Several proposed experimental setups forγ-ray emission and e+e−pair creation by ultra-intense laser pulses are compared in terms of their efficiency and the quality of theγ-photon and positron beams produced for ultrashort(15 fs)and longer(150 fs)multi-petawatt laser beams.展开更多
Collisionless shocks are ubiquitous in the Universe and are held responsible for the production of nonthermal particles and high-energy radiation.In the absence of particle collisions in the system,theory shows that t...Collisionless shocks are ubiquitous in the Universe and are held responsible for the production of nonthermal particles and high-energy radiation.In the absence of particle collisions in the system,theory shows that the interaction of an expanding plasma with a pre-existing electromagnetic structure(as in our case)is able to induce energy dissipation and allow shock formation.Shock formation can alternatively take place when two plasmas interact,through microscopic instabilities inducing electromagnetic fields that are able in turn to mediate energy dissipation and shock formation.Using our platform in which we couple a rapidly expanding plasma induced by high-power lasers(JLF/Titan at LLNL and LULI2000)with high-strength magnetic fields,we have investigated the generation of a magnetized collisionless shock and the associated particle energization.We have characterized the shock as being collisionless and supercritical.We report here on measurements of the plasma density and temperature,the electromagnetic field structures,and the particle energization in the experiments,under various conditions of ambient plasma and magnetic field.We have also modeled the formation of the shocks using macroscopic hydrodynamic simulations and the associated particle acceleration using kinetic particle-in-cell simulations.As a companion paper to Yao et al.[Nat.Phys.17,1177–1182(2021)],here we show additional results of the experiments and simulations,providing more information to allow their reproduction and to demonstrate the robustness of our interpretation of the proton energization mechanism as being shock surfing acceleration.展开更多
The high-energy petawatt PETAL laser system was commissioned at CEA’s Laser M´egajoule facility during the 2017–2018 period.This paper reports in detail on the first experimental results obtained at PETAL on en...The high-energy petawatt PETAL laser system was commissioned at CEA’s Laser M´egajoule facility during the 2017–2018 period.This paper reports in detail on the first experimental results obtained at PETAL on energetic particle and photon generation from solid foil targets,with special emphasis on proton acceleration.Despite a moderately relativistic(<1019 W/cm^(2))laser intensity,proton energies as high as 51 MeV have been measured significantly above those expected from preliminary numerical simulations using idealized interaction conditions.Multidimensional hydrodynamic and kinetic simulations,taking into account the actual laser parameters,show the importance of the energetic electron production in the extended low-density preplasma created by the laser pedestal.This hot-electron generation occurs through two main pathways:(i)stimulated backscattering of the incoming laser light,triggering stochastic electron heating in the resulting counterpropagating laser beams;(ii)laser filamentation,leading to local intensifications of the laser field and plasma channeling,both of which tend to boost the electron acceleration.Moreover,owing to the large(∼100μm)waist and picosecond duration of the PETAL beam,the hot electrons can sustain a high electrostatic field at the target rear side for an extended period,thus enabling efficient target normal sheath acceleration of the rear-side protons.The particle distributions predicted by our numerical simulations are consistent with the measurements.展开更多
The use of plasmas provides a way to overcome the low damage threshold of classical solid-state based optical materials,which is the main limitation encountered in producing and manipulating intense and energetic lase...The use of plasmas provides a way to overcome the low damage threshold of classical solid-state based optical materials,which is the main limitation encountered in producing and manipulating intense and energetic laser pulses.Plasmas can directly amplify or alter the characteristics of ultra-short laser pulses via the three-wave coupling equations for parametric processes.The strong-coupling regime of Brillouin scattering(sc-SBS)is of particular interest:recent progress in this domain is presented here.This includes the role of the global phase in the spatio-temporal evolution of the three-wave coupled equations for backscattering that allows a description of the coupling dynamics and the various stages of amplification from the initial growth to the so-called self-similar regime.The understanding of the phase evolution allows control of the directionality of the energy transfer via the phase relation between the pulses.A scheme that exploits this coupling in order to use the plasma as a wave plate is also suggested.展开更多
Fusion energy research is delivering impressive new results emerging from different infrastructures and industrial devices evolving rapidly from ideas to proof-of-principle demonstration and aiming at the conceptual d...Fusion energy research is delivering impressive new results emerging from different infrastructures and industrial devices evolving rapidly from ideas to proof-of-principle demonstration and aiming at the conceptual design of reactors for the production of electricity.A major milestone has recently been announced in laser fusion by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and is giving new thrust to laser-fusion energy research worldwide.Here we discuss how these circumstances strongly suggest the need for a European intermediate-energy facility dedicated to the physics and technology of laser-fusion ignition,the physics of fusion materials and advanced technologies for high-repetitionrate,high-average-power broadband lasers.We believe that the participation of the broader scientific community and the increased engagement of industry,in partnership with research and academic institutions,make most timely the construction of this infrastructure of extreme scientific attractiveness.展开更多
The P3 installation of ELI-Beamlines is conceived as an experimental platform for multiple high-repetition-rate laser beams spanning time scales from femtosecond via picosecond to nanosecond.The upcoming L4n laser bea...The P3 installation of ELI-Beamlines is conceived as an experimental platform for multiple high-repetition-rate laser beams spanning time scales from femtosecond via picosecond to nanosecond.The upcoming L4n laser beamline will provide shaped nanosecond pulses of up to 1.9 kJ at a maximum repetition rate of 1 shot/min.This beamline will provide unique possibilities for high-pressure,high-energy-density physics,warm dense matter,and laser–plasma interaction experiments.Owing to the high repetition rate,it will become possible to obtain considerable improvements in data statistics,in particular,for equation-of-state data sets.The nanosecond beam will be coupled with short sub-picosecond pulses,providing high-resolution diagnostic tools by either irradiating a backlighter target or driving a betatron setup to generate energetic electrons and hard X-rays.展开更多
Reliable simulations of laseretarget interaction on the macroscopic scale are burdened by the fact that the energy transport is very often non-local.This means that the mean-free-path of the transported species is lar...Reliable simulations of laseretarget interaction on the macroscopic scale are burdened by the fact that the energy transport is very often non-local.This means that the mean-free-path of the transported species is larger than the local gradient scale lengths and transport can be no longer considered diffusive.Kinetic simulations are not a feasible option due to tremendous computational demands,limited validity of the collisional operators and inaccurate treatment of thermal radiation.This is the point where hydrodynamic codes with non-local radiation and electron heat transport based on first principles emerge.The simulation code PETE(Plasma Euler and Transport Equations)combines both of them with a laser absorption method based on the Helmholtz equation and a radiation diffusion scheme presented in this article.In the case of modelling ablation processes it can be observed that both,thermal and radiative,transport processes are strongly non-local for laser intensities of 10^(13) W=cm^(2) and above.In this paper simulations for various laser intensities and different ablator materials are presented,where the non-local and diffusive treatments of radiation transport are compared.Significant discrepancies are observed,supporting importance of non-local transport for inertial confinement fusion related studies as well as for pre-pulse generated plasma in ultra-high intensity laseretarget interaction.展开更多
The choice of the correct density profile is crucial in laser wakefield acceleration.In this work,both subsonic and supersonic gas targets are characterized by means of fluid-dynamic simulations and experimental inter...The choice of the correct density profile is crucial in laser wakefield acceleration.In this work,both subsonic and supersonic gas targets are characterized by means of fluid-dynamic simulations and experimental interferometric measurements.The gas targets are studied in different configurations,and the density profiles most suitable for laser wakefield acceleration are discussed.展开更多
The terahertz(THz)temporal waveform and spectrum from a longitudinal electrically biased femtosecond filament is studied experimentally.The initial direction of the electron motion inside the unbiased filament plasma ...The terahertz(THz)temporal waveform and spectrum from a longitudinal electrically biased femtosecond filament is studied experimentally.The initial direction of the electron motion inside the unbiased filament plasma is deduced from the transformation of the THz temporal waveform with applied fields of opposite polarities.Furthermore,a spectrum shift to lower frequency of the THz spectrum is observed in the presence of a biased field.It agrees well with theoretical predictions.展开更多
Atomic models of high-Zmulticharged ions are extremely complex and require experimental validation.Oneway to do so is to crosscheck the predicted wavelengths of resonance transitions in He-and Li-like ions against pre...Atomic models of high-Zmulticharged ions are extremely complex and require experimental validation.Oneway to do so is to crosscheck the predicted wavelengths of resonance transitions in He-and Li-like ions against precise spectroscopic measurements that use the spectral lines of H-like ions for spectra calibration;these reference data can be modeled with outstanding precision.However,for elements with Z of at least 15,it is quite difficult to create a hot dense plasma with a large concentration ofH-like charge states.To mitigate this issue,the suggestion here is to use as laser targets particular minerals comprising elements with moderate(between 15 and 30)and low(less than 15)Z,with emission from the latter delivering perfect reference lines over a whole range o fHe-and Li-like moderate-Z emission under examination.This approach is implemented to measure the wavelengths of resonance transitions(1snp→1s^(2) for n=2,3)in He-likeKions and their dielectronic satellites by irradiating plates of orthoclase(KAlSi_(3)O_(8))with0.5-kJ subnanosecond laser pulses.X-ray spectra of the laser-generated plasma contain the investigated lines of highly charged K-ions together with precisely known reference lines of H-like Al and Si atoms.The K-shell spectral line wavelengths are measured with a precision of around 0.3 mA.展开更多
INTRODUCTION The articles in the“Atomic and molecular physics for controlled fusion and astrophysics”special issue cover a wide range of topics in atomic and molecular physics in the context of hot plasmas.Basic ato...INTRODUCTION The articles in the“Atomic and molecular physics for controlled fusion and astrophysics”special issue cover a wide range of topics in atomic and molecular physics in the context of hot plasmas.Basic atomic processes are of fundamental importance in confinement fusion and astrophysical environments,and also for ultrahigh–intensity interaction of lasers with matter.Atomic physics in extreme environments such as high pressures and hot or dense plasmas^(1,2)presents new challenges to the community,and these have to be addressed by both theoretical and experimental studies.Several extreme configurations are investigated in this special issue,which should be understood as an initiative to draw the attention of the community to important ongoing work in the context of extreme states of matter.This special issue presents eight articles from scientists actively working in this field and shows the important advances that have been made in basic atomic processes and related areas of plasma properties and plasma diagnosis over the last few years.展开更多
文摘In the 2015 review paper‘Petawatt Class Lasers Worldwide’a comprehensive overview of the current status of highpower facilities of>200 TW was presented.This was largely based on facility specifications,with some description of their uses,for instance in fundamental ultra-high-intensity interactions,secondary source generation,and inertial confinement fusion(ICF).With the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded to Professors Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou for the development of the technique of chirped pulse amplification(CPA),which made these lasers possible,we celebrate by providing a comprehensive update of the current status of ultra-high-power lasers and demonstrate how the technology has developed.We are now in the era of multi-petawatt facilities coming online,with 100 PW lasers being proposed and even under construction.In addition to this there is a pull towards development of industrial and multi-disciplinary applications,which demands much higher repetition rates,delivering high-average powers with higher efficiencies and the use of alternative wavelengths:mid-IR facilities.So apart from a comprehensive update of the current global status,we want to look at what technologies are to be deployed to get to these new regimes,and some of the critical issues facing their development.
基金The authors acknowledge support from the project ELI:Extreme Light Infrastructure from European Regional Devel-opment(CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15-008/0000162)Also supported by the project High Field Initiative(CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15-003/0000449)from European Regional Development Fund.
文摘ELI-Beamlines(ELI-BL),one of the three pillars of the Extreme Light Infrastructure endeavour,will be in a unique position to perform research in high-energy-density-physics(HEDP),plasma physics and ultra-high intensity(UHI)ð>10^(22) W=cm^(2)) lasereplasma interaction.Recently the need for HED laboratory physics was identified and the P3(plasma physics platform)installation under construction in ELI-BL will be an answer.The ELI-BL 10 PW laser makes possible fundamental research topics from high-field physics to new extreme states of matter such as radiation-dominated ones,high-pressure quantum ones,warm dense matter(WDM)and ultra-relativistic plasmas.HEDP is of fundamental importance for research in the field of laboratory astrophysics and inertial confinement fusion(ICF).Reaching such extreme states of matter now and in the future will depend on the use of plasma optics for amplifying and focusing laser pulses.This article will present the relevant technological infrastructure being built in ELI-BL for HEDP and UHI,and gives a brief overview of some research under way in the field of UHI,laboratory astrophysics,ICF,WDM,and plasma optics.
基金One of the authors(O.R.)acknowledges support from the Czech Republic Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports within targeted support of Large Infrastructures,ELI Beamlines Project No.LQ1606 of the National Programme of Sustainability II,and Prague Asterix Laser System Project No.LM2015083.
文摘Advanced X-ray spectroscopic methods provide unique and critical data to study matter under extreme environmental conditions induced by high-intensity and high-energy lasers.The aim of this paper is to contribute to a contemporary discussion of the role of X-ray spectroscopy in the investigation of radiative properties of strongly coupled,highly correlated,and frequently weakly emissive plasma systems formed in matter irradiated by sub-petawatt and petawatt class lasers.After reviewing the properties of different X-ray crystal spectrometers,high-resolution X-ray diagnostic methods are surveyed with respect to their potential to study plasmainduced and externally induced radiation fields,suprathermal electrons,and strong electromagnetic field effects.Atomic physics in dense plasmas is reviewed with emphasis on non-Maxwellian non-LTE atomic kinetics,quasi-stationary and highly-transient conditions,hollow ion X-ray emission,and field-perturbed atoms and ions.Finally,we discuss the role of X-ray free electron lasers with respect to supplementary investigations of matter under extreme conditions via the use of controlled high-intensity radiation fields.
基金This project was partially supported by the Advanced Research Using High Intensity Laser Produced Photons and Particles(ADONIS)project(Grant No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000789)the CAAS project(Grant No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000778)+3 种基金both from the European Regional Development FundThe results of the LQ1606 project were partially obtained with the financial support from the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports as part of targeted support from the National Programme of Sustainability IIThe authors acknowledge support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11775033,11875241,11975215,11905204,12035002)the Laser Fusion Research Center Funds for Young Talents(Grant No.RCFPD3-2019-6).
文摘The physics of laser-plasma interaction is studied on the Shenguang III prototype laser facility under conditions relevant to inertial confinement fusion designs.A sub-millimeter-size underdense hot plasma is created by ionization of a low-density plastic foam by four high-energy(3.2 kJ)laser beams.An interaction beam is fired with a delay permitting evaluation of the excitation of parametric instabilities at different stages of plasma evolution.Multiple diagnostics are used for plasma characterization,scattered radiation,and accelerated electrons.The experimental results are analyzed with radiation hydrodynamic simulations that take account of foam ionization and homogenization.The measured level of stimulated Raman scattering is almost one order of magnitude larger than that measured in experiments with gasbags and hohlraums on the same installation,possibly because of a greater plasma density.Notable amplification is achieved in high-intensity speckles,indicating the importance of implementing laser temporal smoothing techniques with a large bandwidth for controlling laser propagation and absorption.
基金The authors acknowledge support from the European Regional Development Fund for the following projects:HiFI(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449),CAAS(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000778),ADONIS(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000789),and ELITAS(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001793)This work has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No.633053(EUROfusion Project No.CfP-AWP17-IFE-CEA-01)+2 种基金Computational resources were provided by the MetaCentrum under the LM2010005 projectIT4InnovationsCentre of Excellence under the CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0070 and LM2011033 projectsthe ECLIPSE cluster of ELI-Beamlines.The EPOCH code was developed as part of the UK EPSRC-funded EP/G054940/1 project.
文摘Comprehensive understanding and possible control of parametric instabilities in the context of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) remains achallenging task. The details of the absorption processes and the detrimental effects of hot electrons on the implosion process require as mucheffort on the experimental side as on the theoretical and simulation side. This paper describes a proposal for experimental studies on nonlinearinteraction of intense laser pulses with a high-temperature plasma under conditions corresponding to direct-drive ICF schemes. We propose todevelop a platform for laser-plasma interaction studies based on foam targets. Parametric instabilities are sensitive to the bulk plasma temperatureand the density scale length. Foam targets are sufficiently flexible to allow control of these parameters. However, investigationsconducted on small laser facilities cannot be extrapolated in a reliable way to real fusion conditions. It is therefore necessary to performexperiments at a multi-kilojoule energy level on medium-scale facilities such asOMEGAor SG-III. An example of two-plasmon decay instabilityexcited in the interaction of two laser beams is considered.
基金support from grant ANR-11-IDEX-0004-02 Plas@Parthe support of the Czech Science Foundation (Project No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0279)ELI (Project No. CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0061)
文摘The role of the coronal electron plasma temperature for shock-ignition conditions is analysed with respect to the dominant parametric processes: stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, two-plasmon decay(TPD), Langmuir decay instability(LDI) and cavitation. TPD instability and cavitation are sensitive to the electron temperature. At the same time the reflectivity and high-energy electron production are strongly affected. For low plasma temperatures the LDI plays a dominant role in the TPD saturation. An understanding of laser–plasma interaction in the context of shock ignition is an important issue due to the localization of energy deposition by collective effects and hot electron production.This in turn can have consequences for the compression phase and the resulting gain factor of the implosion phase.
基金Additional funding was provided by the Student Grant Competition of CTU(No.SGS22/180/OHK4/3T/14)the Ministry of Education,Youth&Sports of the Czech Republic(No.LM2018114)+1 种基金the Horizon 2020 project Laserlab-Europe V(No.871124)This work was funded by the Helmholtz Association(No.VHNG-1338).
文摘A new approach to target development for laboratory astrophysics experiments at high-power laser facilities is presented.With the dawn of high-power lasers,laboratory astrophysics has emerged as a field,bringing insight into physical processes in astrophysical objects,such as the formation of stars.An important factor for success in these experiments is targetry.To date,targets have mainly relied on expensive and challenging microfabrication methods.The design presented incorporates replaceable machined parts that assemble into a structure that defines the experimental geometry.This can make targets cheaper and faster to manufacture,while maintaining robustness and reproducibility.The platform is intended for experiments on plasma flows,but it is flexible and may be adapted to the constraints of other experimental setups.Examples of targets used in experimental campaigns are shown,including a design for insertion in a high magnetic field coil.Experimental results are included,demonstrating the performance of the targets.
文摘The recent achievement of fusion ignition with laser-driven technologies at the National Ignition Facility sets a historic accomplishment in fusion energy research.This accomplishment paves the way for using laser inertial fusion as a viable approach for future energy production.Europe has a unique opportunity to empower research in this field internationally,and the scientific community is eager to engage in this journey.We propose establishing a European programme on inertial-fusion energy with the mission to demonstrate laser-driven ignition in the direct-drive scheme and to develop pathway technologies for the commercial fusion reactor.The proposed roadmap is based on four complementary axes:(ⅰ)the physics of laser-plasma interaction and burning plasmas;(ⅱ)high-energy high repetition rate laser technology;(ⅲ)fusion reactor technology and materials;and(ⅳ)reinforcement of the laser fusion community by international education and training programmes.We foresee collaboration with universities,research centres and industry and establishing joint activities with the private sector involved in laser fusion.This project aims to stimulate a broad range of high-profile industrial developments in laser,plasma and radiation technologies along with the expected high-level socio-economic impact.
基金the support given to this work. R. R. was partially supported by the EURATOM/CIEMAT association in the framework of the ‘IFE Keep-in-Touch Activities’. S. W.acknowledges support from the Czech Science Foundation (Project No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0279) and from ELI (Project No. CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0061)
文摘The use of the Laser MegaJoule facility within the shock ignition scheme has been considered. In the first part of the study, one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations were performed for an inertial confinement fusion capsule in the context of the shock ignition scheme providing the energy gain and an estimation of the increase of the peak power due to the reduction of the photon penetration expected during the high-intensity spike pulse. In the second part, we considered a Laser MegaJoule configuration consisting of 176 laser beams that have been grouped providing two different irradiation schemes. In this configuration the maximum available energy and power are 1.3 MJ and 440 TW. Optimization of the laser–capsule parameters that minimize the irradiation non-uniformity during the first few ns of the foot pulse has been performed. The calculations take into account the specific elliptical laser intensity profile provided at the Laser MegaJoule and the expected beam uncertainties. A significant improvement of the illumination uniformity provided by the polar direct drive technique has been demonstrated. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations have been performed in order to analyse the magnitude of the azimuthal component of the irradiation that is neglected in twodimensional hydrodynamic simulations.
基金This work was supported by the projects ELITAS(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_013/0001793)High Field Initiative(No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449)+1 种基金both from the European Regional Development Fund.It was also supported by the project ADONIS(Advanced Research Using High Intensity Laser Produced Photons and Particles),No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000789from the European Regional Development Fund.The support of Czech Science Foundation Project No.18-09560S is acknowledged.Computational resources were provided by the MetaCentrum under the Program No.LM2010005,by the IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence under the Project Nos.CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0070 and LM2011033,and by the ECLIPSE cluster of ELI-Beamlines.The EPOCH code was developed as part of the UKEPSRC-funded Project No.EP/G054940/1.
文摘High-energyγ-photon generation via nonlinear Compton scattering and electron–positron pair creation via the Breit–Wheeler process driven by laser–plasma interaction are modeled,and a number of mechanisms are proposed.Owing to the small cross section,these processes require both an ultra-intense laser field and a relativistic electron bunch.The extreme conditions for such scenarios can be achieved through recent developments in laser technology.Photon emission via nonlinear Thomson and Compton scattering has been observed experimentally.Highenergy positron beams generated via a multiphoton process have recently been observed too.This paper reviews the principles ofγ-ray emission and e+e−pair creation in the context of laser–plasma interaction.Several proposed experimental setups forγ-ray emission and e+e−pair creation by ultra-intense laser pulses are compared in terms of their efficiency and the quality of theγ-photon and positron beams produced for ultrashort(15 fs)and longer(150 fs)multi-petawatt laser beams.
基金supported by funding from the European Research Council(ERC)under the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program(Grant Agreement No.787539)The computational resources of this work were supported by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC)and Compute Canada(Job Grant No.pve-323-ac)+4 种基金Part of the experimental system is covered by a patent(No.1000183285,2013,INPI-France)The FLASH software used was developed,in part,by the DOE NNSA ASC-and the DOE Office of Science ASCR-supported Flash Center for Computational Science at the University of ChicagoWe thank J.L.Dubois for providing us EOS and opacities.The research leading to these results is supported by Extreme Light Infrastructure Nuclear Physics(ELI-NP)Phase II,a project co-financed by the Romanian Government and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund,and by the Project No.ELIRO-2020-23 funded by IFA(Romania)IHT RAS team members are supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation(State Assignment No.075-00460-21-00)The study reported here was funded by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research,Project No.19-32-60008.
文摘Collisionless shocks are ubiquitous in the Universe and are held responsible for the production of nonthermal particles and high-energy radiation.In the absence of particle collisions in the system,theory shows that the interaction of an expanding plasma with a pre-existing electromagnetic structure(as in our case)is able to induce energy dissipation and allow shock formation.Shock formation can alternatively take place when two plasmas interact,through microscopic instabilities inducing electromagnetic fields that are able in turn to mediate energy dissipation and shock formation.Using our platform in which we couple a rapidly expanding plasma induced by high-power lasers(JLF/Titan at LLNL and LULI2000)with high-strength magnetic fields,we have investigated the generation of a magnetized collisionless shock and the associated particle energization.We have characterized the shock as being collisionless and supercritical.We report here on measurements of the plasma density and temperature,the electromagnetic field structures,and the particle energization in the experiments,under various conditions of ambient plasma and magnetic field.We have also modeled the formation of the shocks using macroscopic hydrodynamic simulations and the associated particle acceleration using kinetic particle-in-cell simulations.As a companion paper to Yao et al.[Nat.Phys.17,1177–1182(2021)],here we show additional results of the experiments and simulations,providing more information to allow their reproduction and to demonstrate the robustness of our interpretation of the proton energization mechanism as being shock surfing acceleration.
基金funding from the Conseil Regional d’Aquitaine,the French Ministry of Research,and the European Unionfunded by the French Agence Nationale de la Recherche under Grant No.ANR-10-EQPX-42-01+1 种基金funded by the LabEx LAPHIA of the University of Bordeaux under Grant No.ANR-10-IDEX-03-02supported by Association Lasers et Plasmas and by the CEA。
文摘The high-energy petawatt PETAL laser system was commissioned at CEA’s Laser M´egajoule facility during the 2017–2018 period.This paper reports in detail on the first experimental results obtained at PETAL on energetic particle and photon generation from solid foil targets,with special emphasis on proton acceleration.Despite a moderately relativistic(<1019 W/cm^(2))laser intensity,proton energies as high as 51 MeV have been measured significantly above those expected from preliminary numerical simulations using idealized interaction conditions.Multidimensional hydrodynamic and kinetic simulations,taking into account the actual laser parameters,show the importance of the energetic electron production in the extended low-density preplasma created by the laser pedestal.This hot-electron generation occurs through two main pathways:(i)stimulated backscattering of the incoming laser light,triggering stochastic electron heating in the resulting counterpropagating laser beams;(ii)laser filamentation,leading to local intensifications of the laser field and plasma channeling,both of which tend to boost the electron acceleration.Moreover,owing to the large(∼100μm)waist and picosecond duration of the PETAL beam,the hot electrons can sustain a high electrostatic field at the target rear side for an extended period,thus enabling efficient target normal sheath acceleration of the rear-side protons.The particle distributions predicted by our numerical simulations are consistent with the measurements.
基金This work has been done within the LABEX Plas@par project,and received financial state aid managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche,as part of the program“Investissements d’avenir”under the reference ANR-11-IDEX-0004-02.H.P.acknowledges the funding from China Scholarship Council.S.W.was supported by the project Advanced research using high intensity laser produced photons and particles(ADONIS)(CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000789)from the European Regional Development Fund and by the project High Field Initiative(HiFI)(CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449)from the European Regional Development Fund.
文摘The use of plasmas provides a way to overcome the low damage threshold of classical solid-state based optical materials,which is the main limitation encountered in producing and manipulating intense and energetic laser pulses.Plasmas can directly amplify or alter the characteristics of ultra-short laser pulses via the three-wave coupling equations for parametric processes.The strong-coupling regime of Brillouin scattering(sc-SBS)is of particular interest:recent progress in this domain is presented here.This includes the role of the global phase in the spatio-temporal evolution of the three-wave coupled equations for backscattering that allows a description of the coupling dynamics and the various stages of amplification from the initial growth to the so-called self-similar regime.The understanding of the phase evolution allows control of the directionality of the energy transfer via the phase relation between the pulses.A scheme that exploits this coupling in order to use the plasma as a wave plate is also suggested.
文摘Fusion energy research is delivering impressive new results emerging from different infrastructures and industrial devices evolving rapidly from ideas to proof-of-principle demonstration and aiming at the conceptual design of reactors for the production of electricity.A major milestone has recently been announced in laser fusion by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and is giving new thrust to laser-fusion energy research worldwide.Here we discuss how these circumstances strongly suggest the need for a European intermediate-energy facility dedicated to the physics and technology of laser-fusion ignition,the physics of fusion materials and advanced technologies for high-repetitionrate,high-average-power broadband lasers.We believe that the participation of the broader scientific community and the increased engagement of industry,in partnership with research and academic institutions,make most timely the construction of this infrastructure of extreme scientific attractiveness.
基金The authors acknowledge support from the projects“Advanced Research Using High Intensity Laser Produced Photons and Particles(ADONIS)”(Grant No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000789)“High Field Initiative(HiFI)”(Grant No.CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_003/0000449)both from the European Regional Development Fund.The results of the Project LQ1606 were obtained with financial support from the Ministry of Education,Youth and Sports as part of targeted support from the National Program of Sustainability II.
文摘The P3 installation of ELI-Beamlines is conceived as an experimental platform for multiple high-repetition-rate laser beams spanning time scales from femtosecond via picosecond to nanosecond.The upcoming L4n laser beamline will provide shaped nanosecond pulses of up to 1.9 kJ at a maximum repetition rate of 1 shot/min.This beamline will provide unique possibilities for high-pressure,high-energy-density physics,warm dense matter,and laser–plasma interaction experiments.Owing to the high repetition rate,it will become possible to obtain considerable improvements in data statistics,in particular,for equation-of-state data sets.The nanosecond beam will be coupled with short sub-picosecond pulses,providing high-resolution diagnostic tools by either irradiating a backlighter target or driving a betatron setup to generate energetic electrons and hard X-rays.
文摘Reliable simulations of laseretarget interaction on the macroscopic scale are burdened by the fact that the energy transport is very often non-local.This means that the mean-free-path of the transported species is larger than the local gradient scale lengths and transport can be no longer considered diffusive.Kinetic simulations are not a feasible option due to tremendous computational demands,limited validity of the collisional operators and inaccurate treatment of thermal radiation.This is the point where hydrodynamic codes with non-local radiation and electron heat transport based on first principles emerge.The simulation code PETE(Plasma Euler and Transport Equations)combines both of them with a laser absorption method based on the Helmholtz equation and a radiation diffusion scheme presented in this article.In the case of modelling ablation processes it can be observed that both,thermal and radiative,transport processes are strongly non-local for laser intensities of 10^(13) W=cm^(2) and above.In this paper simulations for various laser intensities and different ablator materials are presented,where the non-local and diffusive treatments of radiation transport are compared.Significant discrepancies are observed,supporting importance of non-local transport for inertial confinement fusion related studies as well as for pre-pulse generated plasma in ultra-high intensity laseretarget interaction.
基金the project Advanced Research Using High Intensity Laser Produced Photons and Particles(CZ.02.1.010.00.0160190000789)from the European Regional Development Fund(ADONIS).
文摘The choice of the correct density profile is crucial in laser wakefield acceleration.In this work,both subsonic and supersonic gas targets are characterized by means of fluid-dynamic simulations and experimental interferometric measurements.The gas targets are studied in different configurations,and the density profiles most suitable for laser wakefield acceleration are discussed.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11574213)the Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission(Grant No.2017–01-07-00-07-E00007)。
文摘The terahertz(THz)temporal waveform and spectrum from a longitudinal electrically biased femtosecond filament is studied experimentally.The initial direction of the electron motion inside the unbiased filament plasma is deduced from the transformation of the THz temporal waveform with applied fields of opposite polarities.Furthermore,a spectrum shift to lower frequency of the THz spectrum is observed in the presence of a biased field.It agrees well with theoretical predictions.
基金The reported study was funded by RFBR,project number 19-32-60050the Ministry of Education,Youth,and Sports of the Czech Republic[Project No.LM2018114(PALS Infrastructure)]it was conducted within the framework of the State Assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to JIHT RAS.
文摘Atomic models of high-Zmulticharged ions are extremely complex and require experimental validation.Oneway to do so is to crosscheck the predicted wavelengths of resonance transitions in He-and Li-like ions against precise spectroscopic measurements that use the spectral lines of H-like ions for spectra calibration;these reference data can be modeled with outstanding precision.However,for elements with Z of at least 15,it is quite difficult to create a hot dense plasma with a large concentration ofH-like charge states.To mitigate this issue,the suggestion here is to use as laser targets particular minerals comprising elements with moderate(between 15 and 30)and low(less than 15)Z,with emission from the latter delivering perfect reference lines over a whole range o fHe-and Li-like moderate-Z emission under examination.This approach is implemented to measure the wavelengths of resonance transitions(1snp→1s^(2) for n=2,3)in He-likeKions and their dielectronic satellites by irradiating plates of orthoclase(KAlSi_(3)O_(8))with0.5-kJ subnanosecond laser pulses.X-ray spectra of the laser-generated plasma contain the investigated lines of highly charged K-ions together with precisely known reference lines of H-like Al and Si atoms.The K-shell spectral line wavelengths are measured with a precision of around 0.3 mA.
文摘INTRODUCTION The articles in the“Atomic and molecular physics for controlled fusion and astrophysics”special issue cover a wide range of topics in atomic and molecular physics in the context of hot plasmas.Basic atomic processes are of fundamental importance in confinement fusion and astrophysical environments,and also for ultrahigh–intensity interaction of lasers with matter.Atomic physics in extreme environments such as high pressures and hot or dense plasmas^(1,2)presents new challenges to the community,and these have to be addressed by both theoretical and experimental studies.Several extreme configurations are investigated in this special issue,which should be understood as an initiative to draw the attention of the community to important ongoing work in the context of extreme states of matter.This special issue presents eight articles from scientists actively working in this field and shows the important advances that have been made in basic atomic processes and related areas of plasma properties and plasma diagnosis over the last few years.