High-current, relativistic electron-beam transport in metals and the role of magnetic collimation

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Jun 12;102(23):235004. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.235004. Epub 2009 Jun 11.

Abstract

High-resolution coherent transition radiation (CTR) imaging diagnoses electrons accelerated in laser-solid interactions with intensities of approximately 10;{19} W/cm;{2}. The CTR images indicate electron-beam filamentation and annular propagation. The beam temperature and half-angle divergence are inferred to be approximately 1.4 MeV and approximately 16 degrees , respectively. Three-dimensional hybrid-particle-in-cell code simulations reproduce the details of the CTR images assuming an initial half-angle divergence of approximately 56 degrees . Self-generated resistive magnetic fields are responsible for the difference between the initial and measured divergence.