Demonstration of the θ-pinch effect on double paisley targets using relativistic femtosecond lasers

Abstract

The θ-pinch mechanism is a promising way to compress ions and generate high-energy particles. This paper presents a novel θ-pinch scheme utilizing relativistic laser-plasmas instead of high voltage electromagnets. Specifically, the simulations in this study utilized the EPOCH Particle-in-Cell code to accurately model and track the charged particle behaviors in plasmas. We have successfully simulated the θ-pinch mechanism by utilizing the strong magnetic fields produced by the double paisley target configuration and femtosecond laser-plasma interactions. The temporal evolution of the ion number density and magnetic flux demonstrated the accumulation and compression of a conductor situated at the center of the cavity. Furthermore, our results show that the smaller conductors tend to compress more effectively compared to the larger ones. Overall, this study's unique mechanism has significant implications, such as how magnetic field strength and conductor sizes affect compression, and potential applications in ion confinement and magnetic field generation.