A model of ultrashort laser pulse absorption in solid targets

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.871861· OSTI ID:253489

Rozmus, W; Tikhonchuk, V T ^[1]; Cauble, R ^[2]

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1. Theoretical Physics Institute, Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2J1 (Canada)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

A model for ultrashort laser pulse absorption and solid target heating has been developed. It combines a description of laser light absorption in the skin layer with a simple model of plasma heating. Heat wave propagation into the cold target material is the only loss mechanism balancing energy deposition due to absorption. An absorption coefficient is derived from the plasma conductivity and includes a description of physical processes responsible for collisional and collisionless skin layer absorption mechanisms. Comparison with recent femtosecond laser pulse interaction experiment data show good agreement over a wide range of pulse intensities. For laser intensities above 10{sup 16} W/cm{sup 2} plasma hydrodynamical expansion, which is neglected in our model contributes to a discrepancy between the calculated absorption and experimental data. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 253489
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 3; ISSN 1070-664X; ISSN PHPAEN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABLATION
ABSORPTION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
LASER RADIATION
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASER-RADIATION HEATING
PLASMA DENSITY
TARGETS