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Vacuum breakdown in magnetic dipole wave by 10-PW class lasers
E S Efimenko1, A V Bashinov1, A A Muraviev1
1Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
Physical Review. E
|August 17, 2022
Summary
High-intensity lasers (10-PW) can cause vacuum breakdown. Simulations reveal that specific m-dipole wave configurations and particle interactions are key to initiating this breakdown, with a threshold around 10 PW.
Area of Science:
- High-intensity laser physics
- Plasma physics
- Quantum electrodynamics
Background:
- Vacuum breakdown is a critical phenomenon in high-intensity laser-matter interactions.
- Understanding breakdown thresholds and mechanisms is essential for future laser technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate vacuum breakdown using 10-petawatt (PW)-class lasers.
- To determine the optimal laser configuration for maximizing magnetic fields and initiating breakdown.
- To analyze particle dynamics and plasma formation during breakdown.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 3D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations.
- Studied laser beams in an m-dipole wave configuration.
- Analyzed particle trajectories, plasma distribution, and angular distributions.
Main Results:
- Calculated a vacuum breakdown threshold of approximately 10 PW.
- Identified specific particle trajectories contributing significantly to breakdown in inhomogeneous fields.
- Observed electron-positron plasma forming concentric toroidal layers during the avalanche stage.
Conclusions:
- The interplay between particle ensembles in different spatial regions favors vacuum breakdown.
- The study proposes experimental methods to identify vacuum breakdown using angular distributions of charged particles and gamma photons.
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