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Collective processes in plasmas often induce microinstabilities that play an important role in many space or laboratory plasma environments. Particularly notable is the Weibel-type current filamentation instability, which is believed to drive the creation of collisionless shocks in weakly magnetized astrophysical plasmas. Here, this instability class is studied through interactions of ultraintense and short laser pulses with solid foils, leading to localized generation of megaelectronvolt electrons. Proton radiographic measurements of both low- and high-resistivity targets show two distinct, superimposed electromagnetic field patterns arising from the interpenetration of the megaelectronvolt electrons and the background plasma. Particle-in-cell simulations and theoretical estimates suggest that the collisionless Weibel instability building up in the dilute expanding plasmas formed at the target surfaces causes the observed azimuthally symmetric electromagnetic filaments. For a sufficiently high resistivity of the target foil, an additional resistive instability is triggered in the bulk target, giving rise to radially elongated filaments. The data reveal the growth of both filamentation instabilities over large temporal (tens of picoseconds) and spatial (hundreds of micrometres) scales.

We present experimental and numerical results obtained at LULI (Laboratoire pour l'Utilisation des Lasers intenses) on propagation and energy deposition of laser-generated fast electrons into conical targets. The experimental measurements were performed by means of several diagnostics in order to assess the predicted benefit of conical targets over standard planar ones. Various configurations have been tried, regarding the laser parameters with the aim of optimizing the laser-to-target coupling. Our best results have been obtained when the laser was frequency-doubled at 0.53 μm, corresponding to interaction conditions without laser pedestal due to the ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission). Our data pinpoint the detrimental influence of the pre-plasma generated by the laser pedestal at 1.057 μm, whose confinement is enhanced in conical geometry as evidenced by shadowgraphic measurements which is also confirmed by 2D Cu-Katransverse images obtained from Cu cones. The consequence is the filling of the cone, preventing the laser beam from efficiently reaching the cone tip. These experimental results are compared to 2D PIC simulations modeling of the laser-cone interaction.

Obtaining keV ion temperatures at solid density, i.e. ''warm dense matter'', in the laboratory would be of great interest to measure opacity and equations of state of matter under extremes conditions. Here we report a new means to effectively confine the energetic electrons and localize the energy deposition to a small, more uniformly heated, volume at the tip of nanofabricated micro-cone targets. This is achieved with very high contrast laser irradiation, which interacts with the cone wall to generate strong (~10 MG) localized resistive magnetic fields within the target bulk. Temperatures of up to ~200 eV are observed, with an input laser energy of 10 J. This new means has been investigated both experimentally and with Particle-In-Cell simulations.

We have used time and space resolved interferometry to measure the dynamics of a plasma expanding off the surface of a solid target. This allows accessing 1) the time- and space-resolved dynamics of the fast electrons (laser-accelerated from solids and expanding into vacuum from the rear target surface), and of the energy partition into bulk (cold) electrons and 2) the expansion velocity of an isochorically heated target, from which information about the heating process can be retrieved.

The control of parametric instabilities in large plasmas remains a challenge for the ICF program. Clearly, kinetic effects play an important role in the saturation mechanisms. Sub-picosecond Thomson analysis associated with short pulse interaction permits to explore these topics. A set of experiments have been performed in preformed, He plasmas using the 100-TW laser facility at LULI. The spectra of the electrostatic waves driven by stimulated Raman and Brillouin backscatterings generated in the 1.5 ps, ${\rm \omega} $laser interaction have been measured with 0.3 ps time-resolution by using a short Thomson probe. Additionally, space-resolved and k-resolved spectra have been obtained. The experiments show that the fastest instability -B-SRS- first develops in the rising part of the pump. The B-SBS-driven IAW grows more slowly. B-SRS then abruptly vanishes around the maximum of the pump, while the IAW can be detected tens of picoseconds after the pump, allowing direct measurement of the IAW damping. The EPW k-spectra show that the EPW dispersion relation significantly deviates from the standard one. They exhibit a k-feature which could be related to the presence of a hot electron population produced in the B-SRS saturation process.

Abstract: We have used time and space resolved interferometry to measure the dynamics of a plasma expanding off the surface of a solid target. This allows accessing 1) the time- and space-resolved dynamics of the fast electrons (laser-accelerated from solids and expanding into vacuum from the rear target surface), and of the energy partition into bulk (cold) electrons and 2) the expansion velocity of an isochorically heated target, from which information about the heating process can be retrieved.

Abstract: Obtaining keV ion temperatures at solid density, i.e. “warm dense matter”, in the laboratory would be of great interest to measure opacity and equations of state of matter under extremes conditions. Here we report a new means to effectively confine the energetic electrons and localize the energy deposition to a small, more uniformly heated, volume at the tip of nanofabricated micro-cone targets. This is achieved with very high contrast laser irradiation, which interacts with the cone wall to generate strong (~10 MG) localized resistive magnetic fields within the target bulk. Temperatures of up to ~200 eV are observed, with an input laser energy of 10 J. This new means has been investigated both experimentally and with Particle-In-Cell simulations.

Abstract: We present experimental and numerical results obtained at LULI (Laboratoire pour l’Utilisation des Lasers intenses) on propagation and energy deposition of laser-generated fast electrons into conical targets. The experimental measurements were performed by means of several diagnostics in order to assess the predicted benefit of conical targets over standard planar ones. Various configurations have been tried, regarding the laser parameters with the aim of optimizing the laser-to-target coupling. Our best results have been obtained when the laser was frequency-doubled at 0.53 μm, corresponding to interaction conditions without laser pedestal due to the ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission). Our data pinpoint the detrimental influence of the pre-plasma generated by the laser pedestal at 1.057 μm, whose confinement is enhanced in conical geometry as evidenced by shadowgraphic measurements which is also confirmed by 2D Cu-Ka transverse images obtained from Cu cones. The consequence is the filling of the cone, preventing the laser beam from efficiently reaching the cone tip. These experimental results are compared to 2D PIC simulations modeling of the laser-cone interaction.

A thorough analysis of the electromagnetic instabilities encountered in the beam plasma interaction physics shows that the most unstable modes are not the ones usually studied. We characterize these most unstable modes and determine the patterns they create. A fluid model able to reproduce the kinetic results in the small temperature regime is presented, as well as exact kinetic calculations in the high temperature limit.

The control of parametric instabilities in large plasmas remains a challenge for the ICF program. Clearly, kinetic effects play an important role in the saturation mechanisms. Sub-picosecond Thomson analysis associated with short pulse interaction permits to explore these topics. A set of experiments have been performed in preformed, He plasmas using the 100-TW laser facility at LULI. The spectra of the electrostatic waves driven by stimulated Raman and Brillouin backscatterings generated in the 1.5?ps, ? laser interaction have been measured with 0.3?ps time-resolution by using a short Thomson probe. Additionally, space-resolved and k-resolved spectra have been obtained. The experiments show that the fastest instability -B-SRS- first develops in the rising part of the pump. The B-SBS-driven IAW grows more slowly. B-SRS then abruptly vanishes around the maximum of the pump, while the IAW can be detected tens of picoseconds after the pump, allowing direct measurement of the IAW damping. The EPW k-spectra show that the EPW dispersion relation significantly deviates from the standard one. They exhibit a k-feature which could be related to the presence of a hot electron population produced in the B-SRS saturation process.

We present some experimental results which demonstrate the presence of electric inhibition in the propagation of relativistic electrons generated by intense laser pulses, depending on target conductivity. The use of transparent targets and shadowgraphic techniques has made it possible to evidence electron jets moving at the speed of light, an indication of the presence of self-generated strong magnetic fields.

This paper presents the goals and some of the results of experiments conducted within the Working Package 10 (Fusion Experimental Programme) of the HiPER Project. These experiments concern the study of the physics connected to "Advanced Ignition Schemes", i.e. the Fast Ignition and the Shock Ignition Approaches to Inertial Fusion. Such schemes are aimed at achieving a higher gain, as compared to the classical approach which is used in NIF, as required for future reactors, and making fusion possible with smaller facilities. In particular, a series of experiments related to Fast Ignition were performed at the RAL (UK) and LULI (France) Laboratories and were addressed to study the propagation of fast electrons (created by a short-pulse ultra-high-intensity beam) in compressed matter, created either by cylindrical implosions or by compression of planar targets by (planar) laser-driven shock waves. A more recent experiment was performed at PALS and investigated the laser-plasma coupling in the 1016W/cm2intensity regime of interest for Shock Ignition.