Generating energetic electron generation through staged-acceleration in the two-plasmon-decay instability in inertial confinement fusion

Yan, R. and Ren, C. and Li, J. and Maximov, A.V. and Mori, W.B. and Sheng, Zheng-Ming and Tsung, F.S. (2012) Generating energetic electron generation through staged-acceleration in the two-plasmon-decay instability in inertial confinement fusion. Physical Review Letters, 108. 175002. ISSN 1079-7114

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Abstract

A new hot-electron generation mechanism in two-plasmon-decay instabilities is described based on a series of 2D, long-term ( 10 ps) particle-in-cell and fluid simulations under parameters relevant to inertial confinement fusion. The simulations show that significant laser absorption and hot-electron generation occur in the nonlinear stage. The hot electrons are stage accelerated from the low-density region to the high-density region. New modes with small phase velocities develop in the low-density region in the nonlinear stage and form the first stage for electron acceleration. Electron-ion collisions are shown to significantly reduce the efficiency of this acceleration mechanism