Dynamics of exploding plasmas in a large magnetized plasma

Abstract

The dynamics of an exploding laser-produced plasma in a large ambient magneto-plasma was investigated with magnetic flux probes and Langmuir probes. Debris-ions expanding at super-Alfvénic velocity (up to MA=1.5) expel the ambient magnetic field, creating a large (>20 cm) diamagnetic cavity. We observe a field compression of up to B/B0=1.5 as well as localized electron heating at the edge of the bubble. Two-dimensional hybrid simulations reproduce these measurements well and show that the majority of the ambient ions are energized by the magnetic piston and swept outside the bubble volume. Nonlinear shear-Alfvén waves (δB/B0>25%) are radiated from the cavity with a coupling efficiency of 70% from magnetic energy in the bubble to the wave.