Developing Zeeman Broadening Diagnostics for Magnetized Plasmas

Abstract

One of the most important parameters in laboratory plasmas is the magnetic field (strength and orientation). For these studies to be relevant to astrophysics, proper characterization of the forces acting upon laboratory-produced plasmas is necessary in order to scale the results to be able to understand larger systems. However, the time and space scales characteristic for laser plasmas do not allow particularly useful magnetic field measurements. Current techniques are either insufficient or unsatisfactory; as either the field strength cannot be resolved or only spatially average results are given. A new technique for magnetic field determination via Zeeman broadening is being explored, which is valid in cases even when field orientation is not uniform, which is often the most applicable case.