Collection Of theses on high power laser and plasma physics, Volume. 10, Issue 1, 215001(2012)

Plasmoid Ejection and Secondary Current Sheet Generation from Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-Plasma Interaction

Quan-Li Dong1、*, Shou-Jun Wang1, Quan-Ming Lu2, Can Huang2, Da-Wei Yuan1, Xun Liu1, Xiao-Xuan Lin1, Yu-Tong Li1, Hui-Gang Wei3, Jia-Yong Zhong3, Jian-Rong Shi3, Shao-En Jiang4, Yong-Kun Ding4, Bo-Bin Jiang4, Kai Du4, Xian-Tu He5,6, M.Y. Yu6,7, C. S. Liu8, Shui Wang2, Yong-Jian Tang4, Jian-Qiang Zhu9, Gang Zhao3, Zheng-Ming Sheng1,10, and Jie Zhang1,10
Author Affiliations
  • 1Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
  • 2CAS Key Laboratory of Basic Plasma Physics, University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
  • 3Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
  • 4Research Center for Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China
  • 5Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094, China
  • 6Institute for Fusion Theory and Simulation, Physics Department, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
  • 7Institute for Theoretical Physics I, Ruhr University, D-44780 Bochum, Germany
  • 8Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
  • 9National Laboratory on High Power Lasers and Physics, Shanghai, 201800, China
  • 10Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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    Reconnection of the self-generated magnetic fields in laser-plasma interaction was first investigated experimentally by Nilson et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 255001 (2006)] by shining two laser pulses a distance apart on a solid target layer. An elongated current sheet (CS) was observed in the plasma between the two laser spots. In order to more closely model magnetotail reconnection, here two side-by-side thin target layers, instead of a single one, are used. It is found that at one end of the elongated CS a fanlike electron outflow region including three well-collimated electron jets appears. The (> 1 MeV) tail of the jet energy distribution exhibits a power-law scaling. The enhanced electron acceleration is attributed to the intense inductive electric field in the narrow electron dominated reconnection region, as well as additional acceleration as they are trapped inside the rapidly moving plasmoid formed in and ejected from the CS. The ejection also induces a secondary CS.

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    Quan-Li Dong, Shou-Jun Wang, Quan-Ming Lu, Can Huang, Da-Wei Yuan, Xun Liu, Xiao-Xuan Lin, Yu-Tong Li, Hui-Gang Wei, Jia-Yong Zhong, Jian-Rong Shi, Shao-En Jiang, Yong-Kun Ding, Bo-Bin Jiang, Kai Du, Xian-Tu He, M.Y. Yu, C. S. Liu, Shui Wang, Yong-Jian Tang, Jian-Qiang Zhu, Gang Zhao, Zheng-Ming Sheng, Jie Zhang. Plasmoid Ejection and Secondary Current Sheet Generation from Magnetic Reconnection in Laser-Plasma Interaction[J]. Collection Of theses on high power laser and plasma physics, 2012, 10(1): 215001

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    Paper Information

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    Received: Jul. 20, 2011

    Accepted: --

    Published Online: Jun. 2, 2017

    The Author Email: Dong Quan-Li (qldong@aphy.iphy.ac.cn)

    DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.108.215001

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