Abstract Details
Ion acceleration by hot electrons in microclusters
Author: Alexey Arefiev
Requested Type: Poster Only
Submitted: 2009-04-23 10:31:46
Co-authors: B. Breizman
Contact Info:
Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Te
1 University Station (C1500)
Austin, TX 78712-0
USA
Abstract Text:
Neutron yield, observed in experiments with laser-irradiated deuterium clusters, is associated with fast multi-keV ions. Such ions are produced by large clusters that contain a population of stochastically heated electrons [1]. Our work deals with a first-principle theory of ion acceleration to multi-keV energies. We present a self-consistent analytical description for collisionless expansion of a fully ionized cluster with a two-component electron distribution [2]. The problem is solved for an initial “water-bag” distribution of hot electrons with no angular momentum, which reflects the mechanism of electron heating. This distribution evolves in time due to adiabatic cooling of hot electrons. The solution involves a cold core of the cluster, a thin double layer at the cluster edge, and a quasineutral flow with a rarefaction wave. The presented analysis predicts a substantial number of accelerated ions with energies greater than the cutoff energy of the initial distribution of the hot electrons.
[1] B. N. Breizman, A. V. Arefiev, and M. V. Fomyts'kyi, Phys. Plasmas 12, 56706 (2005).
[2] B. N. Breizman and A. V. Arefiev, Phys. Plasmas 14, 073105 (2007).
Comments:
This can be a talk or a poster, but I would prefer a poster if oral presentations are 15 minutes or less.