Dense Polarized Positrons from Beam-Solid Interaction.

Relativistic positron sources with high spin polarization have important applications in nuclear and particle physics and many frontier fields. However, it is challenging to produce dense polarized positrons. Here we present a simple and effective method to achieve such a positron source by directly impinging a relativistic high-density electron beam on the surface of a solid target. During the interaction, a strong return current of plasma electrons is induced and subsequently asymmetric quasistatic magnetic fields as high as megatesla are generated along the target surface. This gives rise to strong radiative spin flips and multiphoton processes, thus leading to efficient generation of copious polarized positrons. With three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we demonstrate the production of a dense highly polarized multi-GeV positron beam with an average spin polarization above 40% and nC-scale charge per shot. This offers a novel route for the studies of laserless strong-field quantum electrodynamics physics and for the development of high-energy polarized positron sources.

QED cascade saturation in extreme high fields.

Upcoming ultrahigh power lasers at 10 PW level will make it possible to experimentally explore electron-positron (e-e+) pair cascades and subsequent relativistic e-e+ jets formation, which are supposed to occur in extreme astrophysical environments, such as black holes, pulsars, quasars and gamma-ray bursts. In the latter case it is a long-standing question as to how the relativistic jets are formed and what their temperatures and compositions are. Here we report simulation results of pair cascades in two counter-propagating QED-strong laser fields. A scaling of QED cascade growth with laser intensity is found, showing clear cascade saturation above threshold intensity of ~1024 W/cm2. QED cascade saturation leads to pair plasma cooling and longitudinal compression along the laser axis, resulting in the subsequent formation of relativistic dense e-e+ jets along transverse directions. Such laser-driven QED cascade saturation may open up the opportunity to study energetic astrophysical phenomena in laboratory.

[Study on homogeneity of low-pressure air dielectric barrier discharge by optical emission spectrum].

In the present work, a uniform discharge in low-pressure air was obtained by a dielectric barrier discharge device. The spatial homogeneity of the plasma temperature was studied by optical emission spectrum. The vibrational temperature was calculated by second positive band C3 pi(u) --> B3 pi(g) and the rotational temperature (gas temperature) was calculated by N2+ first negative band B 2 sigma(u)+ --> X 2 sigma(g)+. It was found that the vibrational temperature decreases with the voltage increasing, while the rotational temperature increases. In addition, the fluctuation amplitudes of vibrational and rotational temperature of the plasma along diameter of the discharge area decrease with the voltage increasing, which indicates that the homogeneity of the plasma increases with the voltage increasing. These results are of great significance to the application of uniform discharge obtained in air dielectric barrier discharge for material processing.

[Study on vibrational temperature and gas temperature in a hollowneedle-plate discharge plasma].

A 1.6-3 cm long plasma torch was generated when argon gas was introduced by using a hollowneedle-plate discharge device working in atmosphere. The vibrational temperature and the gas temperature at plasma root and tip were studied by using optical emission spectrum at different argon gas flow. The gas temperature was obtained by comparing experimental line shape of OH radicals band around 309 nm with its simulated line shape. The vibrational temperature was calculated using N2 second posi tive band system C3:pi u-B3 pi g. It was found that the gas temperatures at arc root and arc tip are equal and they decrease with the argon flow rate increasing. The gas temperature decreases from 350 to 300 K when argon flow rate increases from 3.0 to 6.5 mL x min(-1). The vibrational temperature at are tip (1950 K) is higher than that at arc root (1755 K) under a low gas flow rate (e.g., 3.0 mL x min(-1)). With gas flow rate increasing, the vibrational temperature at both tip and root decreases, but the decreasing rate at are tip is faster than that at arc root. When gas flow is larger, the vibrational temperatures at tip and root tend to be equal.

[Spatial distributions of OH radicals and O atoms in argon hollow needle-plate discharge in ambient air].

In the present work, the spatial distributions of OH radicals and O atoms were studied in argon hollowneedle-plate discharge in ambient air. A 3 cm long plasma torch was generated in the discharge. The optical emission spectrum from 300 to 800 nm was collected. Besides Ar I lines and N2 second positive band system, OH emission band around 309 nm, O line at 777.4 nm and weaker H line were found in the optical emission spectrum. Because OH radicals and O atoms play an important role in material surface modification, the relative intensities of the OH radicals band (around 309 nm) and O atom line (777.4 nm) were analyzed. The results show that the number of OH radicals decreases rapidly and the number of O atoms follows a rule of increasing firstly and then decreasing from are root to arc tip.

[Investigation on the electron density of a micro-plasma jet operated at atmospheric pressure].

In the present paper, a micro-hollow cathode discharge setup was used to generate micro-plasma jet in flowing mixture of Ar and N2 at atmospheric pressure. The characteristics of the micro-plasma jet were investigated by means of optical method and electrical one. It has been found that breakdown occurs in the gas between the two electrodes when the input power of electric source is increased to a certain value. Plasma appears along the gas flow direction when the mixed gas flows from the aperture of the micro-hollow cathode, and the length of plasma reaches 4 mm. The discharge current is quasi-continuous, and the duration of discharge pulse is about 0.1 micros. Electron density was studied by using Einstein equation and Stark broadening of spectral lines from the emission spectrum respectively. It was found that the results of electron density calculated by the two methods are consistent with the order of 10(15) x cm(-3). It was also found that the electron density is almost independent of power. A qualitative explanation to the phenomenon is given based on the gas discharge theory.

[Measurement of plasma parameters in slot microplasma by optical emission spectrum].

Slot microplasma was generated in argon and air mixture by using dielectric barrier discharge device with two parallel water electrodes. The molecular vibrational temperature, molecular rotational temperature and average electron energy of the slot plasma were studied by optical emission spectrum. The molecular vibrational temperature was calculated using the second positive system of nitrogen molecules ( C3 pi(u) --> B3 pi(g)). The molecular rotational temperature was calculated using the first negative system of nitrogen molecular ions ( B 2sigma(u)+ --> X sigma(g)+). The relative intensities of the first negative system of nitrogen molecular ions (391.4 nm) and nitrogen molecules in the excitation level (337.1 nm) emission spectrum line were measured for studying the variations of electron energy. It was found that the molecular vibrational temperature, molecular rotational temperature and average electron energy decrease with gas pressure increasing.