Proton imaging of high-energy-density laboratory plasmas

Abstract

Probing of electromagnetic fields in high-energy-density experiments is key to understanding questions in fusion processes such as how the fields are compressed, diffuse through the plasma, and can seed instabilities. Many kinetic processes studied, including collisionless shocks, filamentary instabilities, jets, magnetic reconnection, and turbulence, all depend on the field structure. In this review, an overview of experimental techniques and the underpinning theoretical principles and modeling of proton-based imaging is presented, followed by a review of experiments and an outlook for future frontiers in the technique.