Magnetically Induced Collisionless Coupling between Counterstreaming Laser-Produced Plasmas

Abstract

A laser plasma, expanding through a photoionized background plasma under collisionless conditions, experiences a significant coupling with the background when an external 700-G field is applied transverse to the flow. A density maximum is formed which decelerates according to the predictions of a conserved-momentum coupling model. The results are consistent with theoretical treatments of magnetized two-stream instabilities.