Weibel-Instability-Mediated Collisionless Shocks in the Laboratory with Ultraintense Lasers

F. Fiuza, R. A. Fonseca, J. Tonge, W. B. Mori, and L. O. Silva
Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 235004 – Published 8 June 2012

Abstract

The formation of nonrelativistic collisionless shocks in the laboratory with ultrahigh intensity lasers is studied via ab initio multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The microphysics behind shock formation and dissipation and the detailed shock structure are analyzed, illustrating that the Weibel instability plays a crucial role in the generation of strong subequipartition magnetic fields that isotropize the incoming flow and lead to the formation of a collisionless shock, similar to what occurs in astrophysical scenarios. The possibility of generating such collisionless shocks in the laboratory opens the way to the direct study of the physics associated with astrophysical shocks.

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  • Received 29 July 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.235004

© 2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

F. Fiuza1,*, R. A. Fonseca1,2, J. Tonge3, W. B. Mori3, and L. O. Silva1,†

  • 1GoLP/Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear—Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa, Portugal
  • 2Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
  • 3Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA

  • *frederico.fiuza@ist.utl.pt
  • luis.silva@ist.utl.pt

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Vol. 108, Iss. 23 — 8 June 2012

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