2D mapping of Biermann battery fields and associated density and temperature gradients in blast waves*

The generation of magnetic fields is of interest in both astrophysics and laboratory plasma physics research. One prevalent source of magnetic field generation is the spontaneous creation of magnetic fields via the Biermann battery effect. We present high repetition rate experiments examining Biermann generated fields in laser produced plasmas over large, three-dimensional spatial regions under vacuum and in various pressures of N₂ and He background gasses where laser driven Taylor-Sedov blast waves were created. Thomson scattering (TS) was utilized to obtain the electron temperature and density within the laser driven blast waves in various background gas pressures. Novel measurements of the electron temperature and density gradients were obtained via two-dimensional TS and are compared to magnetic field measurements.