Generation of Collisionless Shocks by Laser-Plasma Piston in Magnetised Background: Experiment “BUW”

Theoretical basis and main results of the first successful large-scale, Laser-Plasma experiment “BUW”, on generation of Collisionless Shock Wave in magnetised Background Plasma, are presented. Our classic approach is based on the action of so called Magnetic Laminar Mechanism (or Larmor coupling) for collisionless interaction between interpenetrating super-Alfvenic plasma flows of Laser-Plasma and Background in transverse magnetic field

Charge-transfer pumping of O+5 ions with emission at 51.2 nm

A charge transfer pumping as a possible tool for lasing in XUV is investigated in the Institute of Laser Physics, Novosibirsk. A new scheme based on the laser-produced plasma colliding with the laser-evaporated gas was previously proposed and tested. It showed that lasing at 51.2 nm can be achieved on the 4-3 transition of Li-like O+5 ion. Preliminary results on the enhanced emission at 50 nm and on the specifics of charge transfer reaction [MATH] are reported

On the possibility for laboratory simulation of generation of Alfvén disturbances in magnetic tubes in the solar atmosphere

The paper deals with generation of Alfvén plasma disturbances in magnetic flux tubes through exploding laser plasma in magnetized background plasma. Processes with similar effect of excitation of torsion-type waves seem to provide energy transfer from the solar photosphere to the corona. The studies were carried out at experimental stand KI-1 representing a high-vacuum chamber 1.2 m in diameter, 5 m in length, external magnetic field up to 500 G along the chamber axis, and up to 2·10–6 Torr pressure in operating mode. Laser plasma was produced when focusing the CO2 laser pulse on a flat polyethylene target, and then the laser plasma propagated in θ-pinch background hydrogen (or helium) plasma. As a result, the magnetic flux tube 15–20 cm in radius was experimentally simulated along the chamber axis and the external magnetic field direction. Also, the plasma density distribution in the tube was measured. Alfvén wave propagation along the magnetic field was registered from disturbance of the magnetic field transverse component Bφ and field-aligned current Jz. The disturbances propagate at a near-Alfvén velocity 70–90 km/s and they are of left-hand circular polarization of the transverse component of magnetic field. Presumably, the Alfvén wave is generated by the magnetic laminar mechanism of collisionless interaction between laser plasma cloud and background. A right-hand polarized high-frequency whistler predictor was registered which propagated before the Alfvén wave at a velocity of 300 km/s. The polarization direction changed with the Alfvén wave coming. Features of a slow magnetosonic wave as a sudden change in background plasma concentration along with simultaneous displacement of the external magnetic field were found. The disturbance propagates at ~20–30 km/s velocity, which is close to that of ion sound at low plasma beta value. From preliminary estimates, the disturbance transfers about 10 % of the original energy of laser plasma

Laboratory and PIC simulations of collisionless interaction between expanding space plasma clouds and magnetic field with and without ionised background

Experiments on flute instability of plasma clouds at Alfven Mach-number Ma $\sim$ 0 and 1, and with varying ion's magnetization level have been realized at the KI-1 laser-plasma facility at the ILP of Novosibirsk, with similarity parameters close to those of Barium releases in Earth's magnetosphere. A number of diagnostics have allowed to characterize the dynamics of the cloud-magnetic field interaction, as well as flutes development, or suppression for Ma $>$ 1. Hybrid simulations with HAWAI2D code have reproduced the main observed features, such as the diamagnetic cavity dynamics, and flutes growth. A mode-mixing phenomenon related to Larmor rotation has been observed in simulations, which seems to lead to a reduction of mode number at later times in agreement with experimental results

Exoplanetary Atmospheres—Chemistry, Formation Conditions, and Habitability

Characterizing the atmospheres of extrasolar planets is the new frontier in exoplanetary science. The last two decades of exoplanet discoveries have revealed that exoplanets are very common and extremely diverse in their orbital and bulk properties. We now enter a new era as we begin to investigate the chemical diversity of exoplanets, their atmospheric and interior processes, and their formation conditions. Recent developments in the field have led to unprecedented advancements in our understanding of atmospheric chemistry of exoplanets and the implications for their formation conditions. We review these developments in the present work. We review in detail the theory of atmospheric chemistry in all classes of exoplanets discovered to date, from highly irradiated gas giants, ice giants, and super-Earths, to directly imaged giant planets at large orbital separations. We then review the observational detections of chemical species in exoplanetary atmospheres of these various types using different methods, including transit spectroscopy, Doppler spectroscopy, and direct imaging. In addition to chemical detections, we discuss the advances in determining chemical abundances in these atmospheres and how such abundances are being used to constrain exoplanetary formation conditions and migration mechanisms. Finally, we review recent theoretical work on the atmospheres of habitable exoplanets, followed by a discussion of future outlook of the field.M. Agúndez acknowledges funding support from Spanish MINECO through grants CSD2009-00038, AYA2009-07304, and AYA2012-32032 and from the European Research Council (ERC Grant 610256: NANOCOSMOS). J. Moses thanks the NASA Exoplanet Research program NNX15AN82G for support. Y. Hu is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China 435 (NSFC) under grants 41375072 and 41530423