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U.S. Department of Energy
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Acceleration of solid macro-particles by laser produced ablation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5036699
The laser acceleration of small (mass of order 1 gram) solid particles has been computationally analyzed. Acceleration is caused by a one sided laser illumination of a solid particle producing heating of the material, an ablation wave and the resulting ablative reaction force. Laser intensity is constrained to produce an ablation pressure less than the yield strength of the material (typically a few kbar). Preliminary results indicate the possibility of converting absorbed laser energy to solid density kinetic energy with an efficiency greater than 10 percent. Results of LASNEX calculations and comparison with an analytical model are presented which characterize the physics important to the process.
Research Organization:
California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5036699
Report Number(s):
UCRL-79732; CONF-771136-21
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English