Scaling of thin wire cylindrical compression with material, diameter, and laser energy after 100 fs Joule surface heating

L. Yang; M.-L. Herbert; C. Baehtz; V. Bouffetier; E. Brambrink; T. Dornheim; N. Fefeu; T. Gawne; S. Goede; J. Hagemann; H. Höppner; L. G. Huang; O. Humphries; T. Kluge; D. Kraus; J. Lütgert; J.-P. Naedler; M. Nakatsutsumi; A. Pelka; T. R. Preston; C. B. Qu; S. V. Rahul; L. Randolph; R. Redmer; M. Rehwald; J. J. Santos; M. Šmíd; U. Schramm; J.-P. Schwinkendorf; M. Vescovi; U. Zastrau; K. Zeil; A. Laso Garcia; T. Toncian; T. E. Cowan

doi:10.1063/5.0291405

Volume 11 Issue 1

Jan. 2026

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Article Navigation > Matter and Radiation at Extremes > 2026 > 11(1): 017604

L. Yang, M.-L. Herbert, C. Baehtz, V. Bouffetier, E. Brambrink, T. Dornheim, N. Fefeu, T. Gawne, S. Goede, J. Hagemann, H. Höppner, L. G. Huang, O. Humphries, T. Kluge, D. Kraus, J. Lütgert, J.-P. Naedler, M. Nakatsutsumi, A. Pelka, T. R. Preston, C. B. Qu, S. V. Rahul, L. Randolph, R. Redmer, M. Rehwald, J. J. Santos, M. Šmíd, U. Schramm, J.-P. Schwinkendorf, M. Vescovi, U. Zastrau, K. Zeil, A. Laso Garcia, T. Toncian, T. E. Cowan. Scaling of thin wire cylindrical compression with material, diameter, and laser energy after 100 fs Joule surface heating[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(1): 017604. doi: 10.1063/5.0291405

Citation:

L. Yang, M.-L. Herbert, C. Baehtz, V. Bouffetier, E. Brambrink, T. Dornheim, N. Fefeu, T. Gawne, S. Goede, J. Hagemann, H. Höppner, L. G. Huang, O. Humphries, T. Kluge, D. Kraus, J. Lütgert, J.-P. Naedler, M. Nakatsutsumi, A. Pelka, T. R. Preston, C. B. Qu, S. V. Rahul, L. Randolph, R. Redmer, M. Rehwald, J. J. Santos, M. Šmíd, U. Schramm, J.-P. Schwinkendorf, M. Vescovi, U. Zastrau, K. Zeil, A. Laso Garcia, T. Toncian, T. E. Cowan. Scaling of thin wire cylindrical compression with material, diameter, and laser energy after 100 fs Joule surface heating[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(1): 017604. doi: 10.1063/5.0291405

Citation:

L. Yang, M.-L. Herbert, C. Baehtz, V. Bouffetier, E. Brambrink, T. Dornheim, N. Fefeu, T. Gawne, S. Goede, J. Hagemann, H. Höppner, L. G. Huang, O. Humphries, T. Kluge, D. Kraus, J. Lütgert, J.-P. Naedler, M. Nakatsutsumi, A. Pelka, T. R. Preston, C. B. Qu, S. V. Rahul, L. Randolph, R. Redmer, M. Rehwald, J. J. Santos, M. Šmíd, U. Schramm, J.-P. Schwinkendorf, M. Vescovi, U. Zastrau, K. Zeil, A. Laso Garcia, T. Toncian, T. E. Cowan. Scaling of thin wire cylindrical compression with material, diameter, and laser energy after 100 fs Joule surface heating[J]. Matter and Radiation at Extremes, 2026, 11(1): 017604. doi: 10.1063/5.0291405

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Scaling of thin wire cylindrical compression with material, diameter, and laser energy after 100 fs Joule surface heating

doi: 10.1063/5.0291405

L. Yang^{1, 2
,
,
,},
M.-L. Herbert^{1, 3
,},
C. Baehtz¹,
V. Bouffetier^1
,,
E. Brambrink^4
,,
T. Dornheim^{1, 5
,},
N. Fefeu⁶,
T. Gawne^{1, 5
,},
S. Goede⁴,
J. Hagemann^7
,,
H. Höppner^1
,,
L. G. Huang^{1
,
,
,},
O. Humphries^4
,,
T. Kluge^1
,,
D. Kraus^{1, 3
,},
J. Lütgert^3
,,
J.-P. Naedler^3
,,
M. Nakatsutsumi^4
,,
A. Pelka^1
,,
T. R. Preston^4
,,
C. B. Qu^3
,,
S. V. Rahul^4
,,
L. Randolph^4
,,
R. Redmer^3
,,
M. Rehwald^1
,,
J. J. Santos^6
,,
M. Šmíd^1
,,
U. Schramm^{1, 2
,},
J.-P. Schwinkendorf^{1, 4
,},
M. Vescovi^1
,,
U. Zastrau^4
,,
K. Zeil^1
,,
A. Laso Garcia^{1
,
,
,},
T. Toncian^1
,,
T. E. Cowan^{1, 2
,}

1.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden–Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany
2.
Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
3.
Universität Rostock, Institut für Physik, D-18059 Rostock, Germany
4.
European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenfeld, Germany
5.
Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS), D-02826 Görlitz, Germany
6.
Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications (CELIA), Université de Bordeaux-CNRS-CEA, UMR 5107, F-33405 Talence, France
7.
DESY Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Photon Science, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany

More Information

Corresponding author: a)Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: yanglong@hzdr.de; lingen.huang@hzdr.de; and a.garcia@hzdr.de
Received Date: 2025-07-17
Accepted Date: 2025-11-04

Available Online: 2026-01-01

Publish Date: 2026-01-01

Abstract

Abstract

We present the first systematic experimental validation of return-current-driven cylindrical implosion scaling in micrometer-sized Cu and Al wires irradiated by J-class femtosecond laser pulses. Employing XFEL-based imaging with sub-micrometer spatial and femtosecond temporal resolution, supported by hydrodynamic and particle-in-cell simulations, we reveal how return current density depends precisely on wire diameter, material properties, and incident laser energy. We identify deviations from simple theoretical predictions due to geometrically influenced electron escape dynamics. These results refine and confirm the scaling laws essential for predictive modeling in high-energy-density physics and inertial fusion research.

Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts to disclose.
L.Y. conceived the original idea and developed the theoretical framework. A.L.G. and T.T. laed the experiment. L.Y., C.B., V.B., E.B., T.D., N.F., T.G., S.G., J.H., H.H., L.G.H., O.H., T.K., D.K., J.L., J.P.N., M.N., A.P., T.R.P., C.B.Q., S.V.R., R.R., M.R., L.R., J.J.S., M.Š., U.S., J.P.S., M.V., U.Z., K.Z., A.L.G., T.T., and T.E.C. conducted the experiment. M.L.H. processed the experimental data. L.Y. carried out the PIC and hydrodynamic simulations. L.Y., M.L.H., L.G.H., A.L.G., T.T., and T.E.C. performed the data analysis. A.L.G. and T.T. wrote the experimental section of the paper. L.Y. wrote the remaining sections. T.E.C. contributed to the concept presented in Appendix C. All authors discussed the results and reviewed the manuscript. T.E.C. supervised the project.
L. Yang: Conceptualization (lead); Writing – original draft (lead). M.-L. Herbert: Data curation (equal); Writing – original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). C. Baehtz: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). V. Bouffetier: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). E. Brambrink: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). T. Dornheim: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). N. Fefeu: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). T. Gawne: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). S. Goede: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). J. Hagemann: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). H. Höppner: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). L. G. Huang: Investigation (equal); Writing – original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). O. Humphries: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). T. Kluge: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). D. Kraus: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). J. Lütgert: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). J.-P. Naedler: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). M. Nakatsutsumi: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). A. Pelka: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). T. R. Preston: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). C. B. Qu: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). S. V. Rahul: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). L. Randolph: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). R. Redmer: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). M. Rehwald: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). J. J. Santos: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). M. Šmíd: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). U. Schramm: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). J.-P. Schwinkendorf: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). M. Vescovi: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). U. Zastrau: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). K. Zeil: Investigation (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). A. Laso Garcia: Investigation (equal); Project administration (equal); Writing – original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). T. Toncian: Investigation (equal); Project administration (equal); Writing – original draft (equal); Writing – review & editing (equal). T. E. Cowan: Conceptualization (equal); Supervision (lead).
Author Contributions
The raw experimental data are available at https://doi.org/10.22003/XFEL.EU-DATA-005689-00 upon reasonable request. Additional data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon reasonable request.

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References(42)

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