Fast ions and hot electrons in the laser--plasma interaction
Data on the emission of energetic ions produced in laser--matter interactions have been analyzed for a wide variety of laser wavelengths, energies, and pulse lengths. Strong correlation has been found between the bulk energy per AMU for fast ions measured by charge cups and the x-ray-determined hot electron temperature. Five theoretical models have been used to explain this correlation. The models include (1) a steady-state spherically symmetric fluid model with classical electron heat conduction, (2) a steady-state spherically symmetric fluid model with flux limited electron heat conduction, (3) a simple analytic model of an isothermal rarefaction followed by a free expansion, (4) the l-smcapsa-smcapss-smcapsn-smcapse-smcapsX hydrodynamics code (Comments Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 2, 85 (1975)), calculations employing a spherical expansion and simple initial conditions, and (5) the l-smcapsa-smcapss-smcapsn-smcapse-smcapsX code with its full array of absorption, transport, and emission physics. The results obtained with these models are in good agreement with the experiments and indicate that the detailed shape of the correlation curve between mean fast ion energy and hot electron temperature is due to target surface impurities at the higher temperatures (higher laser intensities) and to the expansion of bulk target material at the lower temperatures (lower laser intensities).
- Research Organization:
- University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
- OSTI ID:
- 5517924
- Journal Information:
- Phys. Fluids; (United States), Vol. 29:8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ION EMISSION
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
ENERGY DEPENDENCE
PLASMA SIMULATION
PULSES
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
PLASMA
SIMULATION
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