Perspectives on relativistic electron–positron pair plasma experiments of astrophysical relevance using high-power lasers

2023/02/01 by Hui Chen, Frederico Fiúza, Frederico Fiuza · 5 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic and Molecular Physics #Laser-Plasma Interactions and Diagnostics #Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma

paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/5.0134819

openalex publication_date 2023/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

The study of relativistic electron–positron pair plasmas is both of fundamental physics interest and important to understand the processes that shape the magnetic field dynamics, particle acceleration, and radiation emission in high-energy astrophysical environments. Although it is highly desirable to study relativistic pair plasmas in the laboratory, their generation and control constitutes a critical challenge. Significant experimental and theoretical progress has been made over recent years to explore the use of intense lasers to produce dense relativistic pair plasma in the laboratory and study the basic collective plasma processes associated with these systems. Important challenges remain in terms of improving the number of pairs, system size, and control over the charge neutrality required to establish laboratory platforms that can expand our understanding of relativistic pair plasma and help validate underlying models in conditions relevant to high-energy astrophysical phenomena. We highlight recent progress in this field, discuss the main challenges, and the exciting prospects for studying relativistic pair plasmas and astrophysics relevant instabilities in the laboratory in the near future.

Citations

• Mechanism for Instability of Transverse Plasma Waves
• Overview of laser-driven generation of electron–positron beams
• Relativistic Jets from Active Galactic Nuclei
• A fast radio burst associated with a Galactic magnetar
• A new frontier in laboratory physics: magnetized electron–positron plasmas
• First Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Telescope Results. I. The Shadow of the Supermassive Black Hole in the Center of the Milky Way

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• Suppression of pair beam instabilities in a laboratory analogue of blazar pair cascades
• Generation of Ultrabrilliant Positron Beam via Superponderomotive Injection in Laser Wakefield Acceleration

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• Overview of laser-driven generation of electron–positron beams
• Generation of a neutral, high-density electron-positron plasma in the laboratory
• A new frontier in laboratory physics: magnetized electron–positron plasmas
• Laboratory realization of relativistic pair-plasma beams
• High repetition rate relativistic laser–solid–plasma interaction platform featuring simultaneous particle and radiation detection