Giga-Gauss scale quasi-static magnetic field generation and application by high-power laser

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14681
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 14010:Fundamental plasma-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Abe Yuki 大阪大学, 工学研究科, 助教 (70817543)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 強磁場 / レーザー / 磁気リコネクション / 宇宙物理 / 核融合

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We established a method to produce a quasi-static magnetic field with astronomical strength in laboratory-scaled conditions. By using relativistic laser-plasma interaction in novel target geometries, 10-kT scale magnetic fields can be generated with a variety of orientation, including parallel, anti-parallel and toroidal. Looking forward to possible applications (laboratory astrophysics, nuclear fusion, particle beams etc.), we studied the parameters of resulting magnetized plasma structures in time and in space for various laser and target conditions. The obtained parameters are valuable for producing optimum magnetic fields depending on the application. Our work would lead to renewed attention to laser-plasma science for academic and industrial R&D.

Free Research Field

プラズマ科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義はレーザーを用いた新たな強磁場生成法の確立により，地上で生成可能な磁場強度の上限が大幅に引き上げられたことにある．これにより，天文観測と理論計算に依存してきた磁気リコネクションを始めとする宇宙物理学において，「地上実験」という新しい研究アプローチの可能性が拓かれた．また，強磁場による高温プラズマの閉じ込め効果は核反応の促進効果をもたらし，慣性核融合炉や産業用中性子源の社会実装をより現実的なものにする意味でも本研究で得られた知見は重要である．