Analytical estimates of proton acceleration in laser-produced turbulent plasmas

TL;DR

This paper presents an analytical approach to estimate proton acceleration via 2nd-order Fermi processes in turbulent plasmas created by high-power lasers, enabling laboratory simulation of astrophysical phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces an analytical model for proton acceleration in laser-produced turbulent plasmas, linking Fermi acceleration to measurable proton distribution broadening.

Findings

Analytical prediction of proton distribution broadening due to Fermi acceleration.

Feasibility of measuring proton momentum diffusion at the National Ignition Facility.

Potential to simulate astrophysical acceleration processes in laboratory settings.

Abstract

With the advent of high power lasers, new opportunities have opened up for simulating astrophysical processes in the laboratory. We show that 2nd-order Fermi acceleration can be directly investigated at the National Ignition Facility, Livermore. This requires measuring the momentum-space diffusion of 3 MeV protons produced within a turbulent plasma generated by a laser. Treating Fermi acceleration as a biased diffusion process, we show analytically that a measurable broadening of the initial proton distribution is then expected for particles exiting the plasma.