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) (1022W/cm2) laser–plasma 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.

This paper presents the calibration of two different kinds of image plates (IPs) for detecting electrons with kinetic energy in the range of 150 keV-1.75 MeV. The calibration was performed using a Sr β source. The paper also provides the measured fading response for the IPs in the time range from 12 min to 18 h. Calibration results are compared to Monte Carlo simulations of energy deposited by the electrons in the sensitive layer of the IPs. It was found that within this energy range a linear relation between simulated energy deposited by the electron in the phosphor layer and the measured photo stimulated luminescence in the IP is adequate to model the response of the IP.

Laser plasma created by intense light interaction with matter plays an important role in high-energy density fundamental studies and many prospective applications. Terawatt laser-produced plasma related to the low collisional and relativistic domain may form supersonic flows and is prone to the generation of strong spontaneous magnetic fields. The comprehensive experimental study presented in this work provides a reference point for the theoretical description of laser-plasma interaction, focusing on the hot electron generation. It experimentally quantifies the phenomenon of hot electron retention, which serves as a boundary condition for most plasma expansion models. Hot electrons, being responsible for nonlocal thermal and electric conductivities, are important for a large variety of processes in such plasmas. The multiple-frame complex-interferometric data providing information on time resolved spontaneous magnetic fields and electron density distribution, complemented by particle spectra and x-ray measurements, were obtained under irradiation of the planar massive Cu and plastic-coated targets by the iodine laser pulse with an intensity of above 1016 W cm−2. The data shows that the hot electron emission from the interaction region outside the target is strongly suppressed, while the electron flow inside the target, i.e. in the direction of the incident laser beam, is a dominant process and contains almost the whole hot electron population. The obtained quantitative characterization of this phenomenon is of primary importance for plasma applications spanning from ICF to laser-driven discharge magnetic field generators.

The problem of spontaneous magnetic field generation with nanosecond laser pulses raises a series of fundamental questions, including the intrinsic magnetization mechanisms in laser-driven plasmas and the understanding of charge-discharge processes in the irradiated target. These two issues are tightly bound as the charge-discharge processes are defined by the currents, which have in turn a feedback by magnetic fields in the plasma. Using direct polaro-interferometric measurements and theoretical analysis, we show that at parameters related to the PALS laser system (1.315 μm, 350 ps, and 1016 W/cm2), fast electrons play a decisive role in the generation of magnetic fields in the laser-driven plasma. Spatial distributions of electric currents were calculated from the measured magnetic field and plasma density distributions. The obtained results revealed the characteristics of strong currents observed in capacitor-coil magnetic generation schemes and open a new approach to fundamental studies related to magnetized plasmas.

Relativistic electrons generated by the interaction of petawatt-class short laser pulses with solid targets can be used to generate bright x-rays via bremsstrahlung. The efficiency of laser energy transfer into these electrons depends on multiple parameters including the focused intensity and pre-plasma level. This paper reports experimental results from the interaction of a high intensity petawatt-class glass laser pulses with solid targets at a maximum intensity of 1019 W cm−2. In-situ measurements of specularly reflected light are used to provide an upper bound of laser absorption and to characterize focused laser intensity, the pre-plasma level and the generation mechanism of second harmonic light. The measured spectrum of electrons and bremsstrahlung radiation provide information about the efficiency of laser energy transfer.

This article describes the design and presents recent results from testing and calibration of a forward Compton scattering high energy X-ray spectrometer. The calibration was performed using a bremsstrahlung source on the photon scattering facility at the Electron linac for beams with high brilliance and low emittance accelerator at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, which provides high energy X-ray photons with energies up to 18 MeV. The calibration was conducted at different bremsstrahlung end point energies-10.5, 13, 15, and 18 MeV. Experimental spectra show a systematic increase in the maximum energy, photon temperature, and flux. The spectrometer is effective for an energy range of 4-20 MeV with energy resolution. The spectrometer operates in low vacuum with pressure less than 0.1 mbar. Experimental tests showed that operating such a spectrometer in air causes a spuriously enhanced high energy signal due to Compton scattering of photons within air. The article also describes the design and shielding considerations which helped to achieve a dynamic range greater than 30 with this spectrometer. The comparison between the experimental results and Monte Carlo simulations are also presented.

The magnetic quadrupole structure formation during the interaction of two ultrashort high power laser pulses with a collisionless plasma is demonstrated with 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. The subsequent expansion of the quadrupole is accompanied by magnetic-field annihilation in the ultrarelativistic regime, when the magnetic field cannot be sustained by the plasma current. This results in a dominant contribution of the displacement current exciting a strong large scale electric field. This field leads to the conversion of magnetic energy into kinetic energy of accelerated electrons inside the thin current sheet.

This paper describes design, development, and implementation of a multi-channel magnetic electron spectrometer for the application in laser–plasma interaction experiments carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System. Modular design of the spectrometer allows the setup in variable configurations to evaluate the angular distribution of hot electron emission. The angular array configuration of the electron spectrometers consists of 16 channels mounted around the target. The modules incorporate a plastic electron collimator designed to suppress the secondary radiation by absorbing the wide angle scattered electrons and photons inside the collimator. The compact model of the spectrometer measures electron energies in the range from 50 keV to 1.5MeV using ferrite magnets and from 250 keV to 5MeV using stronger neodymium magnets. An extended model of the spectrometer increases the measured energy range up to 21MeV or 35MeV using ferrite or neodymium magnets, respectively. Position to energy calibration was obtained using the particle tracking simulations. The experimental results show the measured angularly resolved electron energy distribution functions from interaction with solid targets. The angular distribution of hot electron temperature, the total flux, and the maximum electron energy show a directional dependence. The measured values of these quantities increase toward the target normal. For a copper target, the average amount of measured electron flux is 1.36 × 1011, which corresponds to the total charge of about 21 nC.