Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma

J. T. Y Chu; J. W. D. Halliday; C. Heaton; K. Moczulski; A. Blazevic; D. Schumacher; M. Metternich; H. Nazary; C. D. Arrowsmith; A. R. Bell; K.A. Beyer; A.F.A. Bott; T. Campbell; E Hansen; D Q Lamb; F. Miniati; P. Neumayer; C. A. J Palmer; B. Reville; A. Reyes; S. Sarkar; A. Scopatz; C. Spindloe; C. B. Stuart; H. Wen; P. Tzeferacos; R. Bingham; G. Gregori

doi:10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y

Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma

J. T. Y Chu^*
, J. W. D. Halliday
, C. Heaton
, K. Moczulski
, A. Blazevic
, D. Schumacher
, M. Metternich
, H. Nazary
, C. D. Arrowsmith
, A. R. Bell
, K.A. Beyer
, A.F.A. Bott
, T. Campbell
, E Hansen
, D Q Lamb
, F. Miniati
, P. Neumayer
, C. A. J Palmer
, B. Reville
, A. Reyes

S. Sarkar, A. Scopatz, C. Spindloe, C. B. Stuart, H. Wen, P. Tzeferacos, R. Bingham, G. Gregori

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Mathematics and Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Here we present results from an experiment performed at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research. A mono-energetic beam of chromium ions with initial energies of ~ 450 MeV was fired through a magnetized interaction region formed by the collision of two counter-propagating laser-ablated plasma jets. While laser interferometry revealed the absence of strong fluid-scale turbulence, acceleration and diffusion of the beam ions was driven by wave-particle interactions. A possible mechanism is particle acceleration by electrostatic, short scale length kinetic turbulence, such as the lower-hybrid drift instability.

Original language	English
Article number	3354
Number of pages	8
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	17
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y
Publication status	Published - 09 Apr 2026

Keywords

ion
acceleration
diffusion

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10.1038/s41467-026-70113-yLicence: CC BY

Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma
Copyright 2026 The Authors. This is an open access article published under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the author and source are cited.
Final published version, 1.24 MBLicence: CC BY

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Chu, J. T. Y., Halliday, J. W. D., Heaton, C., Moczulski, K., Blazevic, A., Schumacher, D., Metternich, M., Nazary, H., Arrowsmith, C. D., Bell, A. R., Beyer, K. A., Bott, A. F. A., Campbell, T., Hansen, E., Lamb, D. Q., Miniati, F., Neumayer, P., Palmer, C. A. J., Reville, B., ... Gregori, G. (2026). Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma. Nature Communications, 17, Article 3354. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y

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title = "Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma",

abstract = "Here we present results from an experiment performed at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research. A mono-energetic beam of chromium ions with initial energies of \textasciitilde{} 450 MeV was fired through a magnetized interaction region formed by the collision of two counter-propagating laser-ablated plasma jets. While laser interferometry revealed the absence of strong fluid-scale turbulence, acceleration and diffusion of the beam ions was driven by wave-particle interactions. A possible mechanism is particle acceleration by electrostatic, short scale length kinetic turbulence, such as the lower-hybrid drift instability.",

keywords = "ion, acceleration, diffusion",

author = "Chu, \{J. T. Y\} and Halliday, \{J. W. D.\} and C. Heaton and K. Moczulski and A. Blazevic and D. Schumacher and M. Metternich and H. Nazary and Arrowsmith, \{C. D.\} and Bell, \{A. R.\} and K.A. Beyer and A.F.A. Bott and T. Campbell and E Hansen and Lamb, \{D Q\} and F. Miniati and P. Neumayer and Palmer, \{C. A. J\} and B. Reville and A. Reyes and S. Sarkar and A. Scopatz and C. Spindloe and Stuart, \{C. B.\} and H. Wen and P. Tzeferacos and R. Bingham and G. Gregori",

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day = "9",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y",

language = "English",

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journal = "Nature Communications",

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Chu, JTY, Halliday, JWD, Heaton, C, Moczulski, K, Blazevic, A, Schumacher, D, Metternich, M, Nazary, H, Arrowsmith, CD, Bell, AR, Beyer, KA, Bott, AFA, Campbell, T, Hansen, E, Lamb, DQ, Miniati, F, Neumayer, P, Palmer, CAJ, Reville, B, Reyes, A, Sarkar, S, Scopatz, A, Spindloe, C, Stuart, CB, Wen, H, Tzeferacos, P, Bingham, R & Gregori, G 2026, 'Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma', Nature Communications, vol. 17, 3354. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma

AU - Chu, J. T. Y

AU - Halliday, J. W. D.

AU - Heaton, C.

AU - Moczulski, K.

AU - Blazevic, A.

AU - Schumacher, D.

AU - Metternich, M.

AU - Nazary, H.

AU - Arrowsmith, C. D.

AU - Bell, A. R.

AU - Beyer, K.A.

AU - Bott, A.F.A.

AU - Campbell, T.

AU - Hansen, E

AU - Lamb, D Q

AU - Miniati, F.

AU - Neumayer, P.

AU - Palmer, C. A. J

AU - Reville, B.

AU - Reyes, A.

AU - Sarkar, S.

AU - Scopatz, A.

AU - Spindloe, C.

AU - Stuart, C. B.

AU - Wen, H.

AU - Tzeferacos, P.

AU - Bingham, R.

AU - Gregori, G.

PY - 2026/4/9

Y1 - 2026/4/9

N2 - Here we present results from an experiment performed at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research. A mono-energetic beam of chromium ions with initial energies of ~ 450 MeV was fired through a magnetized interaction region formed by the collision of two counter-propagating laser-ablated plasma jets. While laser interferometry revealed the absence of strong fluid-scale turbulence, acceleration and diffusion of the beam ions was driven by wave-particle interactions. A possible mechanism is particle acceleration by electrostatic, short scale length kinetic turbulence, such as the lower-hybrid drift instability.

AB - Here we present results from an experiment performed at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research. A mono-energetic beam of chromium ions with initial energies of ~ 450 MeV was fired through a magnetized interaction region formed by the collision of two counter-propagating laser-ablated plasma jets. While laser interferometry revealed the absence of strong fluid-scale turbulence, acceleration and diffusion of the beam ions was driven by wave-particle interactions. A possible mechanism is particle acceleration by electrostatic, short scale length kinetic turbulence, such as the lower-hybrid drift instability.

KW - ion

KW - acceleration

KW - diffusion

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y

DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-70113-y

M3 - Article

C2 - 41771938

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 17

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 3354

ER -

Measurement of ion acceleration and diffusion in a laser-driven magnetized plasma

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