Detailed 266 nm Thomson scattering measurements of a laser-heated plasma

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.860066· OSTI ID:7234342

Tracy, M D ^[1]; De Groot, J S ^[2]; Estabrook, K G ^[3]; Cameron, S M ^[1]

---

1. Department of Applied Science, University of California, Davis-Livermore and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)
2. Department of Applied Science and Plasma Research Group, University of California, Davis, California 95616 (United States)
3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

Collective Thomson scattering at 266 nm is used to obtain spatially resolved, two-dimensional electron density, temperature, and radial drift profiles of a collisional laser plasma (critical density, {ital n}{sub {ital c}} =1{times}10{sup 21} cm{sup {minus}3}). An ultraviolet diagnostic wavelength minimizes the complicating effects of inverse bremsstrahlung and refractive turning in the coronal region of interest, where electron densities approach {ital n}{sub {ital c}}/10. Laser plasmas of this type are important because they model some of the aspects of the plasmas found in high-gain laser-fusion pellets irradiated by long pulse widths ({ital t}{sub {ital L}}{approx gt}10 nsec), where laser light is absorbed mostly in the corona. The experimental results and LASNEX (Comments Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion {bold 2}, 51 (1975)) simulations agree within a percent standard deviation of 40% for electron density and 50% for electron temperature and radial drift velocity. Thus it is shown that the hydrodynamics equations with classical coefficients and the numerical approximations in LASNEX are valid models of laser-heated, highly collisional plasmas.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7234342
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 4:6; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COLLISIONAL PLASMA
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
INELASTIC SCATTERING
LASER FUSION REACTORS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
SCATTERING
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
THOMSON SCATTERING
ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION