PALS laser-driven radiative jets for astrophysical and ICF applications

Journal Article · Wed Mar 19 04:00:00 EDT 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2909137· OSTI ID:21136933

Pisarczyk, T; Kasperczuk, A ^[1]; Stenz, Ch ^[2]; Krousky, E; Masek, K; Pfeifer, M; Rohlena, K; Skala, J ^[3]; Ullschmied, J ^[4]; Kalal, M ^[5]; Pisarczyk, P ^[6]

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1. Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, 23 Hery St., 00-908 Warsaw (Poland)
2. Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, University Bordeaux 1-CNRS-CEA, Talence (France)
3. Institute of Physics AS CR, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague 8 (Czech Republic)
4. Institute of Plasma Physics AS CR, Za Slovankou 3, 182 00 Prague 8 (Czech Republic)
5. Czech Technical University, FNSPE, Brehova 7, 115 19 Prague 1 (Czech Republic)
6. Warsaw University of Technology, ICS, 15/19 Nowowiejska St., 00-665 Warsaw (Poland)

High speed, well-collimated plasma jets were generated in the interaction of defocused single laser beam with planar, massive Cu target. The experiment was carried out at the iodine laser facility (Prague Asterix Laser System--PALS) using the third harmonic beam (0.438 {mu}m) with a pulse duration of 250 ps (FWHM) and an energy of 100 J. The information about geometry of plasma expansion, plasma dynamics and electron density were obtained by means of a 3-frame interferometric system. The plasma jet parameters reach the following values: the velocity up to 7x10{sup 7} cm/s, the internal Mach number greater than 10 and the electron density above 10{sup 19} cm{sup -3}. The jet characteristics are appropriate for the astrophysical and ICF applications. To ensure the interaction of this jet with gas or plasma as an ambient medium, a high-pressure supersonic gas nozzle was used, which created a cylindrical column of Ar or He. The results of first experiments dedicated to studies of collision of such a jet with a gas cloud are also presented. They clearly show the effect of shocks formation in ambient gases (He and Ar) due to the jet action. In the case of He the shock waves have usually a conical shape with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm, whereas in the case of Ar, the shock wave configuration is more complex and its thickness is less than 1 mm.

• OSTI ID: 21136933
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 993; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ARGON
COLLISIONS
CYLINDRICAL CONFIGURATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
GASES
HELIUM
IODINE LASERS
LASER RADIATION
MACH NUMBER
PLASMA
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA EXPANSION
PLASMA JETS
RF SYSTEMS
SHOCK WAVES