First measurements of Rayleigh-Taylor-induced magnetic fields in laser-produced plasmas

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Jun 22;108(25):255006. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.255006. Epub 2012 Jun 19.

Abstract

The first experimental demonstration of Rayleigh-Taylor-induced magnetic fields due to the Biermann battery effect has been made. Experiments with laser-irradiated plastic foils were performed to investigate these illusive fields using a monoenergetic proton radiography system. Path-integrated B field strength measurements were inferred from radiographs and found to increase from 10 to 100 T μm during the linear growth phase for 120 μm perturbations. Proton fluence modulations were corrected for Coulomb scattering using measured areal density profiles from x-ray radiographs.