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Title: Observation of breakdown wave mechanism in avalanche ionization produced atmospheric plasma generated by a picosecond CO2 laser

Abstract

Understanding the formation and long-timescale evolution of atmospheric plasmas produced by ultrashort, long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) pulses is an important but partially understood problem. Of particular interest are plasmas produced in air with a peak laser intensity ~1012 W/cm2, the so-called clamping intensity observed in LWIR atmospheric guiding experiments where tunneling and multi-photon ionization operative at near-IR or shorter wavelengths are inoperative. We find that avalanche breakdown on the surface of aerosol (dust) particles can act to seed the breakdown of air observed above the 200 GW/cm2 threshold when a train of 3 ps 10.6 μm laser pulses separated by 18 ps is used. The breakdown first appears at the best focus but propagates backward toward the focusing optic as the plasma density approaches critical density and makes forward propagation impossible. The velocity of the backward propagating breakdown can be as high as 109 cm/s, an order of magnitude greater than measured with ns pulse-produced breakdown, and can be explained rather well by the so-called breakdown wave mechanism. Transverse plasma expansion with a similar velocity is assisted by UV photoionization and is observed as a secondary longitudinal breakdown mechanism in roughly 10% of the shots. When a cm-size, TW power beammore » is propagated, interception of aerosol particles is guaranteed and several (40 cm-3) breakdown sites appear, each initially producing a near-critical density plasma. On a 10 ns–1 μs timescale, shockwaves from each site expand radially and coalesce to produce a large hot gas channel. The radial velocity of the expansion agrees well with the prediction of the blast wave theory developed for ultrafast atmospheric detonations.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
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  1. University of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); US Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR)
OSTI Identifier:
1979057
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1866501
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0010064; FA9550-16-1-0139; N00014-17-1-2705
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 29; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; electrical properties and parameters; aerosols; atmospheric processes; interferometry; optical interferometers; photoionization; streak cameras; plasmas; shock waves

Citation Formats

Welch, E., Matteo, D., Tochitsky, S., Louwrens, G., and Joshi, C. Observation of breakdown wave mechanism in avalanche ionization produced atmospheric plasma generated by a picosecond CO2 laser. United States: N. p., 2022. Web. doi:10.1063/5.0086771.
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Welch, E., Matteo, D., Tochitsky, S., Louwrens, G., & Joshi, C. Observation of breakdown wave mechanism in avalanche ionization produced atmospheric plasma generated by a picosecond CO2 laser. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0086771
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Welch, E., Matteo, D., Tochitsky, S., Louwrens, G., and Joshi, C. Thu . "Observation of breakdown wave mechanism in avalanche ionization produced atmospheric plasma generated by a picosecond CO2 laser". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0086771. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1979057.
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@article{osti_1979057,
title = {Observation of breakdown wave mechanism in avalanche ionization produced atmospheric plasma generated by a picosecond CO2 laser},
author = {Welch, E. and Matteo, D. and Tochitsky, S. and Louwrens, G. and Joshi, C.},
abstractNote = {Understanding the formation and long-timescale evolution of atmospheric plasmas produced by ultrashort, long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) pulses is an important but partially understood problem. Of particular interest are plasmas produced in air with a peak laser intensity ~1012 W/cm2, the so-called clamping intensity observed in LWIR atmospheric guiding experiments where tunneling and multi-photon ionization operative at near-IR or shorter wavelengths are inoperative. We find that avalanche breakdown on the surface of aerosol (dust) particles can act to seed the breakdown of air observed above the 200 GW/cm2 threshold when a train of 3 ps 10.6 μm laser pulses separated by 18 ps is used. The breakdown first appears at the best focus but propagates backward toward the focusing optic as the plasma density approaches critical density and makes forward propagation impossible. The velocity of the backward propagating breakdown can be as high as 109 cm/s, an order of magnitude greater than measured with ns pulse-produced breakdown, and can be explained rather well by the so-called breakdown wave mechanism. Transverse plasma expansion with a similar velocity is assisted by UV photoionization and is observed as a secondary longitudinal breakdown mechanism in roughly 10% of the shots. When a cm-size, TW power beam is propagated, interception of aerosol particles is guaranteed and several (40 cm-3) breakdown sites appear, each initially producing a near-critical density plasma. On a 10 ns–1 μs timescale, shockwaves from each site expand radially and coalesce to produce a large hot gas channel. The radial velocity of the expansion agrees well with the prediction of the blast wave theory developed for ultrafast atmospheric detonations.},
doi = {10.1063/5.0086771},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 5,
volume = 29,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2022},
month = {Thu May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2022}
}
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