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Mapping the self-generated magnetic fields due to thermal Weibel instability.

Chaojie Zhang1, Yipeng Wu1, Mitchell Sinclair1

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|December 5, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Researchers demonstrate how the Weibel instability in plasma can generate seed magnetic fields. This finding supports the idea that plasma instabilities may be crucial for galactic dynamo processes.

Keywords:
Weibel instabilitykinetic theoryoptical-field ionizationself-magnetizationtemperature anisotropy

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Area of Science:

  • Plasma astrophysics
  • High-energy physics

Background:

  • The origin of seed magnetic fields, crucial for galactic dynamo amplification, remains an open question.
  • While primordial sources and the Biermann battery mechanism are considered, plasma instabilities, particularly the thermal Weibel instability, are also proposed.
  • The thermal Weibel instability, driven by temperature anisotropy, is ubiquitous but challenging to study in terrestrial plasmas due to difficulties in preparing specific velocity distributions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the thermal Weibel instability as a source of seed magnetic fields.
  • To validate kinetic theory predictions for the growth rates of the Weibel instability.
  • To assess the potential of the Weibel instability to generate magnetic fields capable of seeding galactic dynamos.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing picosecond laser ionization of hydrogen gas to create a specific electron distribution function.
  • Recording the 2D evolution of magnetic fields using the deflection of a picosecond relativistic electron beam.
  • Measuring time-resolved growth rates of the instability.

Main Results:

  • The measured instability growth rates validate kinetic theory predictions.
  • Observed self-organization of microscopic plasma currents amplified magnetic field generation.
  • Up to approximately 1% of plasma thermal energy was converted into magnetic energy.

Conclusions:

  • The Weibel instability can be initiated and studied in a controlled laboratory plasma.
  • Experimental results support the theoretical understanding of the thermal Weibel instability.
  • The magnetic fields generated by the Weibel instability are a viable candidate for seeding galactic dynamos.