Applying New Laser Interaction Models to the ORION Problem

Journal Article · Fri Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3507138· OSTI ID:21426600

Phipps, Claude ^[1]; Sinko, John ^[2]

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1. Photonic Associates, LLC, 200A Ojo de la Vaca Road, Santa Fe NM 87508 (United States)
2. GCOE, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan)

Previously, Phipps, et al. developed a model that permitted laser ablation impulse predictions within a factor of two over an extremely broad range of pulse durations and wavelengths in the plasma regime. This model lacked the ability to predict the intensity for optimum impulse generation. For the lower-intensity vapor regime, below the plasma transition, Sinko developed a useful, fluence-dependent model which predicts impulse delivered for pulsed lasers on polymers at a specific wavelength. Phipps subsequently developed an alternate model which treats elemental solids in the vapor regime, that only requires knowledge of basic material parameters and vapor pressure vs. temperature data. These data, except for optical absorptivity, are wavelength-independent. A simple technique combines either vapor model with the plasma model to form a complete model that moves smoothly through the vapor to plasma transition. In this paper, we apply these models to show the optimum momentum coupling fluence on target, at the transition from the vapor to the plasma regimes, for aluminum (a typical debris material) and polyoxymethylene (representing polymeric debris). The application of this work is the ORION laser space debris mitigation concept. This is an improvement over previous work, in which this optimum was only estimated from the plasma ignition threshold. We present calculations showing how impulse delivered to debris targets in the ORION concept varies with pulse duration, at an optimum fluence determined by nonlinear optical effects in the Earth's atmosphere.

• OSTI ID: 21426600
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1278, Issue 1; Conference: International symposium on high power laser ablation 2010, Santa Fe, NM (United States), 18-22 Apr 2010; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3507138; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABLATION
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTIVITY
ALUMINIUM
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
NONLINEAR OPTICS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
POLYMERS
PULSES
SOLIDS
VAPOR PRESSURE
VAPORS
VISIBLE RADIATION
WAVELENGTHS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
METALS
OPTICS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
SORPTION
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES