Evolution of the Electron Distribution Function in the Presence of Inverse Bremsstrahlung Heating and Collisional Ionization

A. L. Milder, H. P. Le, M. Sherlock, P. Franke, J. Katz, S. T. Ivancic, J. L. Shaw, J. P. Palastro, A. M. Hansen, I. A. Begishev, W. Rozmus, and D. H. Froula
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 025001 – Published 13 January 2020

Abstract

The picosecond evolution of non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions was measured in a laser-produced plasma using collective electron plasma wave Thomson scattering. During the laser heating, the distribution was measured to be approximately super-Gaussian due to inverse bremsstrahlung heating. After the heating laser turned off, collisional ionization caused further modification to the distribution function while increasing electron density and decreasing temperature. Electron distribution functions were determined using Vlasov-Fokker-Planck simulations including atomic kinetics.

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  • Received 19 July 2019
  • Revised 11 September 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.025001

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

A. L. Milder1,2, H. P. Le3, M. Sherlock3, P. Franke1,2, J. Katz1, S. T. Ivancic1, J. L. Shaw1, J. P. Palastro1, A. M. Hansen1,2, I. A. Begishev1, W. Rozmus4, and D. H. Froula1,2

  • 1Laboratory for Laser Energetics, 250 E. River Road, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
  • 3Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA
  • 4Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E1, Canada

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Issue

Vol. 124, Iss. 2 — 17 January 2020

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