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Title: Detailed energy distributions in laser-produced plasmas of solid gold and foam gold planar targets

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4841315· OSTI ID:22218357
 [1]; ; ;  [1]
  1. Research Center of Laser Fusion, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China)

Foam gold was proposed to increase the laser to x-ray conversion efficiency due to its important applications. To understand the mechanism of x-ray enhancement, the detailed energy distributions and plasma profiles for laser-irradiated solid gold and foam gold targets were studied comparatively by hydrodynamic simulations using the code Multi-1D. It is confirmed that the radiation heat wave is subsonic for the normal solid gold target, while supersonic for the foam gold target. The shock wave, which is behind the supersonic radiation heat wave for the foam gold target, generates a plasma temperature gradient with high temperature near the shock wave front to produce an additional net outward radiation for enhancement of the x-ray emission. Much larger inward plasma velocity is also driven by the shock wave as an initial plasma velocity for the laser deposition and electron thermal conduct zone, which decreases the expanding plasma kinetic energy loss and helps to increase the x-ray radiation.

OSTI ID:
22218357
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 20, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English