Femtosecond laser energy deposition in strongly absorbing cluster gases diagnosed by blast wave trajectory analysis

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2001 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1394778· OSTI ID:40277889

Zweiback, J; Ditmire, T

An intense ultrafast laser pulse can be very strongly absorbed in a moderate density gas composed of van der Waals bonded clusters. In this paper, the deposition of the energy of intense 30 fs light pulses in a gas of deuterium clusters has been diagnosed using a technique based on analysis of the trajectories of the resulting cylindrically symmetric blast waves. Using the well-known relation between blast wave velocity and energy deposition in gas, the laser energy deposited per unit length as a function of distance in gas jet plume was measured. These measurements were conducted in jets containing either deuterium clusters or simple deuterium molecules.

• Sponsoring Organization: (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 40277889
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Journal Name: Physics of Plasmas Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 8; ISSN 1070-664X
• Publisher: The American Physical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DEPOSITION
DEUTERIUM
GASES
LASERS
PLUMES
TRAJECTORIES
VELOCITY