arXiv subjects

K. Tomita

Publications and source records attributed to K. Tomita.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Characterizing the temporal evolution of Biermann-battery-driven magnetic reconnection in laser-ablated plasmas

This paper presents an experimental investigation of magnetic reconnection between two laser-produced expanding plasmas, focusing on the quantitative evaluation of the reconnection rate and energy conversion under varying initial conditions. By changing the separation distance between the drive laser focal spots (1 mm and 2 mm), we systematically controlled the inflow parameters. The reconnection region was probed using a two-directional laser Thomson scattering (LTS) system, which simultaneously measured the local plasma parameters parallel to the outflows and along the current sheet. Based on our established method incorporating macroscopic energy and mass conservation laws to derive the upstream magnetic field directly from LTS spectra, we characterized the temporal evolution of the current sheet and the reconnection rate. The larger spot separation allows the plasma bubbles to expand for a substantially longer time before the formation of a reconnection current sheet, resulting in different upstream conditions. Nevertheless, both configurations yielded comparable upstream magnetic fields and reconnection rates. These results suggest that the reconnection rate is relatively insensitive to the global inflow conditions and is primarily controlled by the local physics of the reconnection layer once a current sheet is formed.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Electron density structure measurements with scattered intense laser beam

Short-pulse intense lasers have the potential to model extreme astrophysical environments in laboratories. Although there are diagnostics for energetic electrons and ions resulting from laser-plasma interactions, the diagnostics to measure velocity distribution functions at the interaction region of laser and plasma are limited. We have been developing the diagnostics of the interaction between intense laser and plasma using scattered intense laser. We performed experiments to measure electron density by observing the spatial distributions and ratio of horizontal to vertical polarization components of scattered laser beam using optical imaging. The observed ratio of polarization components is consistent with the drive laser beam indicating the observed light originates from the drive laser. Imaging of the scattered light shows the structure of electron density, the zeros moment of electron velocity distribution function, interacting with the intense laser. We observed the change of structure due to the laser pre-pulse that destroys the target before the arrival of the main pulse.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Mechanism of generating collisionless shock in magnetized gas plasma driven by laser-ablated target plasma

Mechanism of generating collisionless shock in magnetized gas plasma driven by laser-ablated target plasma is investigated by using one-dimensional full particle-in-cell simulation. The effect of finite injection time of target plasma, mimicking finite width of laser pulse, is taken into account. It was found that the formation of a seed-shock requires a recursor. The precursor is driven by gyrating ions, and its origin varies depending on the injection time of the target plasma. When the injection time is short, the target plasma entering the gas plasma creates a precursor, otherwise, gas ions reflected by the strong piston effect of the target plasma create a precursor. The precursor compresses the background gas plasma, and subsequently, a compressed seed-shock forms in the gas plasma. The parameter dependence on the formation process and propagation characteristics of the seed-shock was discussed. It was confirmed that the seed-shock propagates through the gas plasma exhibiting behavior similar to the shock front of supercritical shocks.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Competition of magnetic reconnections in self-generated and external magnetic fields

We investigate the competition of magnetic reconnections in self-generated and external magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas. The temporal evolution of plasma structures measured with self-emission imaging shows the vertical expansions and horizontal separation of plasma, which can be signatures of reconnection outflows in self-generated and external magnetic fields, respectively. Because the outflows in self-generated magnetic fields are not clear in the presence of the external magnetic field, the external magnetic field can suppress the magnetic reconnection in self-generated magnetic fields.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2024

Laser Thomson Scattering Measurements around Magnetized Model in Rarefied Argon Arcjet Plume

To elucidate the role of the Hall effect in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) aerobraking in rarefied flows,we measured the radial distributions of electron temperature and density in front of a magnetized model in a rarefied argon arcjet wind tunnel using the laser Thomson scattering method. We also developed a water-cooled magnetized model to prevent thermal demagnetization during the measurement. The measured electron density distributions were in excellent agreement with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions. It was also found that the magnetic field had little effect on the electron density distribution around the model. In the case without the magnetic field, the measured electron temperature almost agreed with the CFD prediction. However, the measured electron temperature increase caused by applying the magnetic field was about 1,000 K less than that of the CFD prediction. This discrepancy indicates that the location of an insulating boundary in the plasma is far from the model.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2023

Development of the Thomson scattering measurement system for cascade arc device with indirectly heated hollow cathode

We have developed a Thomson scattering measurement system for the cascade arc discharge device designed for the plasma window (PW) application study. The PW is one of the plasma application techniques that sustain the steep pressure gradient between high pressure (10-100 kPa) and a vacuum environment due to the thermal energy of the plasma. Since the plasma thermal energy is the essential parameter for the pressure separation capability of PW, we installed the Thomson scattering measurement system to observe the electron density and temperature within the anode and cathode of the PW for the detailed analysis of the pressure separation capability. The frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 200 mJ, 8 ns) was employed for the probe laser. The scattered light was fed to the triple grating spectrometer. The notch filter between the first and second grating eliminated the stray light, realizing a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio. The Thomson scattering measurement system successfully obtained the electron density and temperature of the cascade arc plasma at 20 mm downstream from the tip of the cathode. The installed system successfully obtained the Thomson scattering spectrum and showed that the electron density increased from $2\times10^{19} {\rm m}^{-3}$ to $7\times10^{19} {\rm m}^{-3}$ with the discharge power, while the electron temperature was almost constant at about 2 eV. The obtained data successfully contributed to the study of the pressure separation capability of the PW.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

Collective Thomson scattering in non-equilibrium laser produced two-stream plasmas

We investigate collective Thomson scattering (CTS) in two-stream non-equilibrium plasmas analytically, numerically and experimentally. In laboratory astrophysics, CTS is a unique tool to obtain local plasma diagnostics. While the standard CTS theory assumes plasmas to be linear, stationary, isotropic and equilibrium, it is often nonlinear, non-stationary, anisotropic, and non-equilibrium in high energy phenomena relevant to laboratory astrophysics. We theoretically calculate and numerically simulate the CTS spectra in two-stream plasmas as a typical example of non-equilibrium system in space and astrophysical plasmas. The simulation results show the feasibility to diagnose two-stream instability directly via CTS measurements. In order to confirm the non-equilibrium CTS analysis, we have been developing experimental system with high repetition rate table top laser for laboratory astrophysics.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

Detection of current-sheet and bipolar ion flows in a self-generated antiparallel magnetic field of laser-produced plasmas for magnetic reconnection research

Magnetic reconnection in laser-produced magnetized plasma is investigated by using optical diagnostics. The magnetic field is generated via Biermann battery effect, and the inversely directed magnetic field lines interact with each other. It is shown by self-emission measurement that two colliding plasmas stagnate on a mid-plane forming two planar dense regions, and that they interact later in time. Laser Thomson scattering spectra are distorted in the direction of the self-generated magnetic field, indicating asymmetric ion velocity distribution and plasma acceleration. In addition, the spectra perpendicular to the magnetic field show different peak intensity, suggesting an electron current formation. These results are interpreted as magnetic field dissipation, reconnection, and outflow acceleration. Two-directional laser Thomson scattering is, as discussed here, a powerful tool for the investigation of microphysics in the reconnection region.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

High-power laser experiment on developing supercritical shock propagating in homogeneously magnetized plasma of ambient gas origin

A developing supercritical collisionless shock propagating in a homogeneously magnetized plasma of ambient gas origin having higher uniformity than the previous experiments is formed by using high-power laser experiment. The ambient plasma is not contaminated by the plasma produced in the early time after the laser shot. While the observed developing shock does not have stationary downstream structure, it possesses some characteristics of a magnetized supercritical shock, which are supported by a one-dimensional full particle-in-cell simulation taking the effect of finite time of laser-target interaction into account.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2022

High-power laser experiment forming a supercritical collisionless shock in a magnetized uniform plasma at rest

We present a new experimental method to generate quasi-perpendicular supercritical magnetized collisionless shocks. In our experiment, ambient nitrogen (N) plasma is at rest and well-magnetized, and it has uniform mass density. The plasma is pushed by laser-driven ablation aluminum (Al) plasma. Streaked optical pyrometry and spatially resolved laser collective Thomson scattering clarify structures of plasma density and temperatures, which are compared with one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is indicated that just after the laser irradiation, the Al plasma is magnetized by a self-generated Biermann battery field, and the plasma slaps the incident N plasma. The compressed external field in the N plasma reflects N ions, leading to counter-streaming magnetized N flows. Namely we identify the edge of the reflected N ions. Such interacting plasmas form a magnetized collisionless shock.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2019

Anomalous plasma acceleration in colliding high-power laser-produced plasmas

We developed an experimental platform for studying magnetic reconnection in an external magnetic field with simultaneous measurements of plasma imaging, flow velocity, and magnetic-field variation. Here, we investigate the stagnation and acceleration in counter-streaming plasmas generated by high-power laser beams. A plasma flow perpendicular to the initial flow directions is measured with laser Thomson scattering. The flow is, interestingly, accelerated toward the high-density region, which is opposite to the direction of the acceleration by pressure gradients. This acceleration is possibly interpreted by the interaction of two magnetic field loops initially generated by Biermann battery effect, resulting in a magnetic reconnection forming a single field loop and additional acceleration by a magnetic tension force.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2009

Self-shielding effect of a single phase liquid xenon detector for direct dark matter search

Liquid xenon is a suitable material for a dark matter search. For future large scale experiments, single phase detectors are attractive due to their simple configuration and scalability. However, in order to reduce backgrounds, they need to fully rely on liquid xenon's self-shielding property. A prototype detector was developed at Kamioka Observatory to establish vertex and energy reconstruction methods and to demonstrate the self-shielding power against gamma rays from outside of the detector. Sufficient self-shielding power for future experiments was obtained.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv1999

Bulk Motions in Large-Scale Void Models

To explain the puzzling situation in the observed bulk flows on scales $\sim 150 h^{-1}$ Mpc ($H_0 = 100 h^{-1}$ km sec$^{-1}$ Mpc$^{-1}$), we consider the observational behavior of spherically symmetric inhomogeneous cosmological models, which consist of inner and outer homogeneous regions connected by a shell or an intermediate self-similar region. It is assumed that the present matter density parameter in the inner region is smaller than that in the outer region, and the present Hubble parameter in the inner region is larger than that in the outer region. Then galaxies in the inner void-like region can be seen to have a bulk motion relative to matter in the outer region, when we observe them at a point O deviated from the center C of the inner region. Their velocity $v_p$ in the CD direction is equal to the difference of two Hubble parameters multiplied by the distance between C and O. It is found also that the velocity $v_d$ corresponding to CMB dipole anisotropy observed at O is by a factor $\approx 10$ small compared with $v_p$. This behavior of $v_d$ and $v_p$ is consistent with the observed cosmic flow of cluster galaxies, when the radius of the inner region and the distance CD are about 200 $h^{-1}$ Mpc and 40 $h^{-1}$ Mpc, respectively, and when the gaps of density and Hubble parameters are $\approx 0.5$ and 18%, respectively. Moreover, the [m, z] relation in these models is discussed in connection with SNIa data.

astro-ph↗