Interaction of Relativistic Electron Beams with Fusion-Target Blowoff Plasmas

The relativistic Boltzmann equation with a Fokker-Planck collision term is solved assuming that elastic scattering characterizes the shortest time scale of the beam-plasma system. One-dimensional solutions containing the self-consistent return-current electric field show that, although range shortening occurs, the electric field prevents high-current-density beams from penetrating into the dense-plasma region.