MEGAGAUSS MAGNETIC-FIELD GENERATION AND PLASMA-JET FORMATION ON SOLIDTARGETS IRRADIATED BY AN ULTRAINTENSE PICOSECOND LASER-PULSE

Authors
BORGHESI M MACKINNON AJ BELL AR GAILLARD R WILLI O
Citation
M. Borghesi et al., MEGAGAUSS MAGNETIC-FIELD GENERATION AND PLASMA-JET FORMATION ON SOLIDTARGETS IRRADIATED BY AN ULTRAINTENSE PICOSECOND LASER-PULSE, Physical review letters, 81(1), 1998, pp. 112-115
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Physics
Journal title
Physical review letters → ACNP
ISSN journal
00319007
Volume
81
Issue
1
Year of publication
1998
Pages
112 - 115
Database
ISI
SICI code
0031-9007(1998)81:1<112:MMGAPF>2.0.ZU;2-O
Abstract
The spatial and temporal evolution of spontaneous megagauss magnetic f ields, generated during the interaction of a picosecond pulse with sol id targets at irradiances above 5 x 10(18) W/cm(2) have been measured using Faraday rotation with picosecond resolution. A high density plas ma jet has been observed simultaneously with the magnetic fields by in terferometry and optical emission. Two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations reproduced the main features of the experiment and showed that the jet formation is due to pinching by the magnetic fields.