Control of Electron Beam Using Strong Magnetic Field for Efficient Core Heating in Fast Ignition

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that strong external magnetic fields can effectively guide electron beams in dense plasma, improving core heating efficiency in fast ignition, based on PIC simulations relevant to FIREX experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a magnetic guiding method for electron beams in fast ignition, showing effective beam control with moderate mirror ratios and resistive magnetic pipe formation.

Findings

Magnetic fields enable effective electron beam guiding in dense plasma.

Resistive effects lead to magnetic pipe formation, aiding beam confinement.

Guiding performance persists even with higher mirror ratios and laser intensities.

Abstract

For enhancing the core heating efficiency in electron-driven fast ignition, we proposed the fast electron beam guiding using externally applied longitudinal magnetic fields. Based on the PIC simulations for the FIREX-class experiments, we demonstrated the sufficient beam guiding performance in the collisional dense plasma by kT-class external magnetic fields for the case with moderate mirror ratio (~<10 ). Boring of the mirror field was found through the formation of magnetic pipe structure due to the resistive effects, which indicates a possibility of beam guiding in high mirror field for higher laser intensity and/or longer pulse duration.