High-current capillary discharge with prepulse ablative plasma

Abstract

Articles you may be interested inHigh-current long-duration uniform electron beam generation in a diode with multicapillary carbon-epoxy cathode Note: Characterization of the plasma parameters of a capillary discharge-produced plasma channel waveguide to guide an intense laser pulse Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 046109 (2010); 10.1063/1.3397321 Longitudinal profiles of plasma parameters in a laser-ignited capillary discharge and implications for laser wakefield accelerator applications Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 261501 (2005); 10.1063/1.2149183 Three-dimensional laser-induced fluorescence measurements in a helicon plasma Rev. Sci. Instrum. 75, 4103 (2004);Generation of axisymmetric stable, long plasma channels with temperatures of 8 eV and electron densities ϳ10 19 cm Ϫ3 by a high-current evaporating-wall capillary discharge with prepulse ablative plasma is reported. Results of spectroscopic measurements of the temperature and electron density of plasma produced in a polyethylene capillary are presented. The discharge provides a convenient source of dense highly ionized plasmas for laser-plasma interaction studies.

Low jitter capillary discharge channels

“…[11][12][13] Such a pulse is a source for strong electromagnetic noise. In addition, this method exhibits remarkable ͑hundreds of nanoseconds͒ jitter of the main discharge.…”

Capillary Plasma Formation by a Laser

“…Radial heat conduction to the capillary wall results in the formation of a stable, long-lived guiding channel. Levin et al [11] have generated stable, long plasma channels with temperatures of 8 eV and electron densities ∼10 19 cm −3 by a high current evaporatingwall capillary discharge with prepulse ablative plasma.…”

Nonequilibrium thermal boundary layer in a capillary discharge with an ablative wall

“…6 Optical guiding of high-intensity laser pulses is used in a number of applications, such as laser wake-field accelerators, x-ray lasers, harmonic generators, etc. [7][8][9][10] Laser propagation through the plasma with constant beam size, the so-called matched beam, can occur if the diffraction term is balanced by the refraction term. 11 In case of the capillary sustained plasma, the matching laser beam radius is determined by the plasma density radial distribution inside the capillary.…”

“…In both types of the capillary discharge simulations and measurements indicate that the radial plasma density profile is parabolic near the capillary exit plane. 8,13 Since the radial plasma density profile in the capillary has primary importance for optical guiding, it was a subject of numerous studies. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Models of the gas-filled capillary discharge were based on the premise that the radial plasma temperature distribution ͑and therefore the plasma density distri-bution͒ inside the capillary is determined by the energy balance between the Ohmic heating and cooling due to electron heat conductivity.…”

“…8,13 Since the radial plasma density profile in the capillary has primary importance for optical guiding, it was a subject of numerous studies. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Models of the gas-filled capillary discharge were based on the premise that the radial plasma temperature distribution ͑and therefore the plasma density distri-bution͒ inside the capillary is determined by the energy balance between the Ohmic heating and cooling due to electron heat conductivity. 13,14 In previous models, 13,14 it was assumed that all plasma species are in thermal equilibrium in the entire capillary cross section, so that near the capillary wall all temperatures are equal, i.e., T = T i = T e = T a , where T i is the ion temperature, T e is the electron temperature, and T a is the neutral particle temperature.…”