Suppression of Electromagnetic Pulses from Laser-Target Interactions by Strong Magnetic Fields

arXiv:2602.18619v1 Announce Type: new
Abstract: Laser-target interactions generate intense electromagnetic pulses (EMP) that can interfere with measurements and damage equipment. In this paper we show that applying a magnetic field to nanosecond pulse laser-target interactions decreases the magnitude of EMP. We demonstrate this effect in two experiments with different geometries (spherical vs. planar), laser intensities (${sim}10^{13}$ vs. ${sim} 10^{15}$~W/cm$^2$) and applied field strength (12~T vs. 0.1~T) that both observed suppression of EMP in the ${sim} 1$~GHz band (by factors of $0.65times$ and $0.32times$ respectively). We then observe the opposite effect at high intensities with a picosecond pulse: for planar experiments with laser intensities ${sim}10^{19}$~W/cm$^2$ and magnetic fields of 6–10~T, the magnitude of EMP is increased by a factor of $1.75times$. These results provide a benchmark for models of EMP generation, but suggest that magnetic fields are not a viable solution for mitigating EMP on the high intensity laser facilities where it is most damaging.