arXiv subjects

L. O. Silva

Publications and source records attributed to L. O. Silva.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2014

Self-modulation instability of ultra-relativistic particle bunches with finite rise times

We study the evolution of the self-modulation instability using bunches with finite rise times. Using particle-in-cell simulations we show that unlike long bunches with sharp rise times, there are large variations of the wake amplitudes and wake phase velocity when bunches with finite rise times are used. These results show that use of bunches with sharp rise times is important to seed the self-modulation instability and to ensure stable acceleration regimes.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Electromagnetic field generation in the downstream of electrostatic shocks due to electron trapping

A new magnetic field generation mechanism in electrostatic shocks is found, which can produce fields with magnetic energy density as high as 0.01 of the kinetic energy density of the flows on time scales $ \tilde \, 10^4 \, ω_{pe}^{-1}$. Electron trapping during the shock formation process creates a strong temperature anisotropy in the distribution function, giving rise to the pure Weibel instability. The generated magnetic field is well-confined to the downstream region of the electrostatic shock. The shock formation process is not modified and the features of the shock front responsible for ion acceleration, which are currently probed in laser-plasma laboratory experiments, are maintained. However, such a strong magnetic field determines the particle trajectories downstream and has the potential to modify the signatures of the collisionless shock.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Electron trapping and acceleration by the plasma wakefield of a self-modulating proton beam

It is shown that co-linear injection of electrons or positrons into the wakefield of the self-modulating particle beam is possible and ensures high energy gain. The witness beam must co-propagate with the tail part of the driver, since the plasma wave phase velocity there can exceed the light velocity, which is necessary for efficient acceleration. If the witness beam is many wakefield periods long, then the trapped charge is limited by beam loading effects. The initial trapping is better for positrons, but at the acceleration stage a considerable fraction of positrons is lost from the wave. For efficient trapping of electrons, the plasma boundary must be sharp, with the density transition region shorter than several centimeters. Positrons are not susceptible to the initial plasma density gradient.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Boosting the performance of Brillouin amplification at sub-quarter-critical densities via reduction of parasitic Raman scattering

Raman and Brillouin amplification of laser pulses in plasma have been shown to produce picosecond pulses of petawatt power. In previous studies, filamentation of the probe pulse has been identified as the biggest threat to the amplification process, especially for Brillouin amplification, which employs the highest plasma densities. Therefore it has been proposed to perform Brillouin scattering at densities below $n_{cr}/4$ to reduce the influence of filamentation. However, parastic Raman scattering can become a problem at such densities, contrary to densities above $n_{cr}/4$, where it is suppressed. In this paper, we investigate the influence of parasitic Raman scattering on Brillouin amplification at densities below $n_{cr}/4$. We expose the specific problems posed by both Raman backward and forward scattering, and how both types of scattering can be mitigated, leading to an increased performance of the Brillouin amplification process.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

SEP acceleration in CME driven shocks using a hybrid code

We preform hybrid simulations of super Alfvenic quasi-parallel shock, driven by a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), propagating in the Outer Coronal or Solar Wind at distances of between 3 to 6 solar radii. The hybrid treatment of the problem enable the study of the shock propagation on the ion time scale, preserving ion kinetics and allowing for a self consistent treatment of the shock propagation and particle acceleration. The CME plasma drags the embedded magnetic field lines stretching from the sun, and propagates out into interplanetary space at a greater velocity than the in-situ solar wind, driving the shock, and producing very energetic particles. Our results show electromagnetic Alfven waves are generated at the shock front. The waves propagate upstream of the shock and are produced by the counter streaming ions of the solar wind plasma being reflected at the shock. A significant fraction of the particles are accelerated in two distinct phases: first, particles drift from the shock and are accelerated in the upstream region and, second, particles arriving at the shock get trapped, and are accelerated at the shock front. A fraction of the particles diffused back to the shock, which is consistent with the Fermi acceleration mechanism.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2014

Magnetic field generation and amplification in an expanding plasma

Particle-in-cell simulations are used to investigate the formation of magnetic fields, B, in plasmas with perpendicular electron density and temperature gradients. For system sizes, L, comparable to the ion skin depth, d_i, it is shown that B ~ d_i/L, consistent with the Biermann battery effect. However, for large L/d_i, it is found that the Weibel instability (due to electron temperature anisotropy) supersedes the Biermann battery as the main producer of B. The Weibel-produced fields saturate at a finite amplitude (plasma β\approx 100), independent of L. The magnetic energy spectra below the electron Larmor radius scale is well fitted by power law with slope -16/3, as predicted in Schekochihin et al., Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser 182, 310 (2009).

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Beam quality requirements for the Ion-Channel Laser

In this paper, we determine the electron beam quality requirements to obtain exponential radiation amplification in the ion-channel laser, where a relativistic electron beam wiggles in a focusing ion-channel that can be created in a wakefield accelerator. The beam energy and wiggler parameter spreads should be limited. Those spread limits are functions of the Pierce parameter, which is calculated here without neglecting the radiation diffraction. Two dimensional and three dimensional simulations of the self-consistent ion-channel laser confirm our theoretical predictions.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration: a path to the future of high-energy particle physics

New acceleration technology is mandatory for the future elucidation of fundamental particles and their interactions. A promising approach is to exploit the properties of plasmas. Past research has focused on creating large-amplitude plasma waves by injecting an intense laser pulse or an electron bunch into the plasma. However, the maximum energy gain of electrons accelerated in a single plasma stage is limited by the energy of the driver. Proton bunches are the most promising drivers of wakefields to accelerate electrons to the TeV energy scale in a single stage. An experimental program at CERN -- the AWAKE experiment -- has been launched to study in detail the important physical processes and to demonstrate the power of proton-driven plasma wakefield acceleration. Here we review the physical principles and some experimental considerations for a future proton-driven plasma wakefield accelerator.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2014

Electron-scale shear instabilities: magnetic field generation and particle acceleration in astrophysical jets

Strong shear flow regions found in astrophysical jets are shown to be important dissipation regions, where the shear flow kinetic energy is converted into electric and magnetic field energy via shear instabilities. The emergence of these self-consistent fields make shear flows significant sites for radiation emission and particle acceleration. We focus on electron-scale instabilities, namely the collisionless, unmagnetized Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) and a large-scale dc magnetic field generation mechanism on the electron scales. We show that these processes are important candidates to generate magnetic fields in the presence of strong velocity shears, which may naturally originate in energetic matter outburst of active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursters. We show that the KHI is robust to density jumps between shearing flows, thus operating in various scenarios with different density contrasts. Multidimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the KHI, performed with OSIRIS, reveal the emergence of a strong and large-scale dc magnetic field component, which is not captured by the standard linear fluid theory. This dc component arises from kinetic effects associated with the thermal expansion of electrons of one flow into the other across the shear layer, whilst ions remain unperturbed due to their inertia. The electron expansion forms dc current sheets, which induce a dc magnetic field. Our results indicate that most of the electromagnetic energy developed in the KHI is stored in the dc component, reaching values of equipartition on the order of $10^{-3}$ in the electron time-scale, and persists longer than the proton time-scale. Particle scattering/acceleration in the self generated fields of these shear flow instabilities is also analyzed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Implementation of a hybrid particle code with a PIC description in r-z and a gridless description in $ϕ$ into OSIRIS

For many plasma physics problems, three-dimensional and kinetic effects are very important. However, such simulations are very computationally intensive. Fortunately, there is a class of problems for which there is nearly azimuthal symmetry and the dominant three-dimensional physics is captured by the inclusion of only a few azimuthal harmonics. Recently, it was proposed [A. Lifschitz et al., J. Comp. Phys. 228 (5) (2009) 1803-1814] to model one such problem, laser wakefield acceleration, by expanding the fields and currents in azimuthal harmonics and truncating the expansion after only the first harmonic. The complex amplitudes of the fundamental and first harmonic for the fields were solved on an r-z grid and a procedure for calculating the complex current amplitudes for each particle based on its motion in Cartesian geometry was presented using a Marder's correction to maintain the validity of Gauss's law. In this paper, we describe an implementation of this algorithm into OSIRIS using a rigorous charge conserving current deposition method to maintain the validity of Gauss's law. We show that this algorithm is a hybrid method which uses a particles-in-cell description in r-z and a gridless description in $ϕ$. We include the ability to keep an arbitrary number of harmonics and higher order particle shapes. Examples, for laser wakefield acceleration, plasma wakefield acceleration, and beam loading are also presented and directions for future work are discussed.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2014

Plasma wakefields driven by intense, broadband, incoherent electromagnetic radiation

Non-linear wave-driven processes in plasmas are normally described by either a monochromatic pump wave that couples to other monochromatic waves, or as a random phase wave coupling to other random phase waves. An alternative approach involves an incoherent, random or broadband pump coupling to monochromatic and/or coherent structures in the plasma. This approach can be implemented through the wave kinetic model. In this model, the incoming pump wave is described by either a bunch (for coherent waves) or a sea (for random phase waves) of quasi-particles. A particle-in-cell type code has been developed to perform numerical simulations of such interactions using the quasi-particle approach. This code allows for a comparatively easy description of both random phase and coherent pump pulses coupling to slow electrostatic plasma waves, while providing an extended range of powerful diagnostics leading to a deeper physical insight into the dynamics of the fast waves. As an example, the propagation of short, intense laser pulses through a plasma has been simulated. A sample of the phenomena that can be studied for this case includes modulational instabilities, photon wave breaking and turbulence, and pulse compression, stretching, and chirping. The extensibility of the numerical implementation to other types of fast wave-slow wave interactions is also discussed.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Exploring the nature of collisionless shocks under laboratory conditions

Collisionless shocks are pervasive in astrophysics and they are critical to understand cosmic ray acceleration. Laboratory experiments with intense lasers are now opening the way to explore and characterise the underlying microphysics, which determine the acceleration process of collisionless shocks. We determine the shock character - electrostatic or electromagnetic - based on the stability of electrostatic shocks to transverse electromagnetic fluctuations as a function of the electron temperature and flow velocity of the plasma components, and we compare the analytical model with particle-in-cell simulations. By making the connection with the laser parameters driving the plasma flows, we demonstrate that shocks with different and distinct underlying microphysics can be explored in the laboratory with state-of-the-art laser systems.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Snowmass 2013 Computing Frontier: Accelerator Science

This is the working summary of the Accelerator Science working group of the Computing Frontier of the Snowmass meeting 2013. It summarizes the computing requirements to support accelerator technology in both Energy and Intensity Frontiers.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2013

Laser-plasma interactions for fast ignition

In the electron-driven fast-ignition approach to inertial confinement fusion, petawatt laser pulses are required to generate MeV electrons that deposit several tens of kilojoules in the compressed core of an imploded DT shell. We review recent progress in the understanding of intense laser plasma interactions (LPI) relevant to fast ignition. Increases in computational and modeling capabilities, as well as algorithmic developments have led to enhancement in our ability to perform multi-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of LPI at relevant scales. We discuss the physics of the interaction in terms of laser absorption fraction, the laser-generated electron spectra, divergence, and their temporal evolution. Scaling with irradiation conditions such as laser intensity are considered, as well as the dependence on plasma parameters. Different numerical modeling approaches and configurations are addressed, providing an overview of the modeling capabilities and limitations. In addition, we discuss the comparison of simulation results with experimental observables. In particular, we address the question of surrogacy of today's experiments for the full-scale fast ignition problem.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Relativistic generalization of formation and ion reflection conditions in electrostatic shocks

The theoretical model by Sorasio et al. (2006) for the steady state Mach number of electrostatic shocks formed in the interaction of two plasma slabs of arbitrary density and temperature is generalized for relativistic electron and non-relativistic ion temperatures. We find that the relativistic correction leads to lower Mach numbers, and as a consequence, ions are reflected with lower energies. The steady state bulk velocity of the downstream population is introduced as an additional parameter to describe the transition between the minimum and maximum Mach numbers in dependence of the initial density and temperature ratios. In order to transform the soliton-like solution in the upstream region into a shock, a population of reflected ions is considered and differences to a zero-ion temperature model are discussed.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2013

Collisionless shock formation, spontaneous electromagnetic fluctuations and streaming instabilities

Collisionless shocks are ubiquitous in astrophysics and in the lab. Recent numerical simulations and experiments have shown how they can arise from the encounter of two collisionless plasma shells. When the shells interpenetrate, the overlapping region turns unstable, triggering the shock formation. As a first step towards a microscopic understanding of the process, we analyze here in detail the initial instability phase. On the one hand, 2D relativistic PIC simulations are performed where two symmetric initially cold pair plasmas collide. On the other hand, the instabilities at work are analyzed, as well as the field at saturation and the seed field which gets amplified. For mildly relativistic motions and onward, Weibel modes govern the linear phase. We derive an expression for the duration of the linear phase in good agreement with the simulations. This saturation time constitutes indeed a lower-bound for the shock formation time.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Ion acceleration from laser-driven electrostatic shocks

Multi-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations are used to study the generation of electrostatic shocks in plasma and the reflection of background ions to produce high-quality and high-energy ion beams. Electrostatic shocks are driven by the interaction of two plasmas with different density and/or relative drift velocity. The energy and number of ions reflected by the shock increase with increasing density ratio and relative drift velocity between the two interacting plasmas. It is shown that the interaction of intense lasers with tailored near-critical density plasmas allows for the efficient heating of the plasma electrons and steepening of the plasma profile at the critical density interface, leading to the generation of high-velocity shock structures and high-energy ion beams. Our results indicate that high-quality 200 MeV shock-accelerated ion beams required for medical applications may be obtained with current laser systems.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2012

DC magnetic field generation in unmagnetized shear flows

The generation of DC magnetic fields in unmagnetized plasmas with velocity shear is predicted for non relativistic and relativistic scenarios either due to thermal effects or due to the onset of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). A kinetic model describes the growth and the saturation of the DC field. The predictions of the theory are confirmed by multidimensional particle-in-cell simulations, demonstrating the formation of long lived magnetic fields ($t \sim 100s ω_{pi}^{-1}$) along the full longitudinal extent of the shear layer, with transverse width on the electron length scale ($\sqrt{γ_0}c/ω_{pe}$), reaching magnitudes $eB_{\mathrm{DC}}/m_ecω_{pe}\sim β_0\sqrt{γ_0}$.

physics.plasm-ph↗