Using X-ray spectroscopy of relativistic laser plasma interaction to reveal parametric decay instabilities : a modeling tool for astrophysics

Oks, E. and Dalimier, E. and Faenov, A. Ya and Angelo, P. and Pikuz, S.A. and Tubman, E. and Butler, N.M.H. and Dance, R.J. and Pikuz, T.A. and Skobelev, I. Yu. and Alkhimova, M.A. and Booth, N. and Green, J. and Gregory, C. and Andreev, A. and Zhidkov, A. and Kodama, R. and McKenna, P. and Woolsey, N. (2017) Using X-ray spectroscopy of relativistic laser plasma interaction to reveal parametric decay instabilities : a modeling tool for astrophysics. Optics Express, 25 (3). pp. 1958-1972. ISSN 1094-4087 (https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.25.001958)

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Abstract

By analyzing profiles of experimental x-ray spectral lines of Si XIV and Al XIII, we found that both Langmuir and ion acoustic waves developed in plasmas produced via irradiation of thin Si foils by relativistic laser pulses (intensities ~10^21 W/cm^2). We prove that these waves are due to the parametric decay instability (PDI). This is the first time that the PDI-induced ion acoustic turbulence was discovered by the x-ray spectroscopy in laser-produced plasmas. These conclusions are also supported by PIC simulations. Our results can be used for laboratory modeling of physical processes in astrophysical objects and a better understanding of intense laser-plasma interactions.