Journal of Plasma Physics

Table of Contents - 2009 - Volume 75, Issue 02  

Papers

Nonlinear saturation of the Weibel instability in a dense Fermi plasma

F. HAASa1a2, P. K. SHUKLAa1 and B. ELIASSONa1a3

a1 Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr–Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany (bengt@tp4.ruhr-uni-bochum.de)

a2 Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS, Av. Unisinos 950, 93022–000, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil

a3 Department of Physics, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Abstract

We present an investigation for the generation of intense magnetic fields in dense plasmas with an anisotropic electron Fermi–Dirac distribution. For this purpose, we use a new linear dispersion relation for transverse waves in the Wigner–Maxwell dense quantum plasma system. Numerical analysis of the dispersion relation reveals the scaling of the growth rate as a function of the Fermi energy and the temperature anisotropy. The nonlinear saturation level of the magnetic fields is found through fully kinetic simulations, which indicates that the final amplitudes of the magnetic fields are proportional to the linear growth rate of the instability. The present results are important for understanding the origin of intense magnetic fields in dense Fermionic plasmas, such as those in the next-generation intense laser–solid density plasma experiments.

(Received April 07 2008)

(Online publication June 13 2008)