Conditions for the onset of the current filamentation instability in the laboratory

N. Shukla, J. Vieira, P. Muggli, G. Sarri, R. Fonseca, L. O. Silva

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The current filamentation instability (CFI) is capable of generating strong magnetic fields relevant to the explanation of radiation processes in astrophysical objects and leads to the onset of particle acceleration in collisionless shocks. Probing such extreme scenarios in the laboratory is still an open challenge. In this work, we investigate the possibility of using neutral beams to explore the CFI with realistic parameters, by performing two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. We show that CFI can occur unless the rate at which the beam expands due to finite beam emittance is larger than the CFI growth rate and as long as the role of the competing electrostatic two-stream instability (TSI) is negligible. We also show that the longitudinal energy spread, typical of plasma-based accelerated electron–positron fireball beams, plays a minor role in the growth of CFI in these scenarios.
Original languageEnglish
Article number 905840302
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Plasma Physics
Volume84
Early online date10 May 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2018

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