Studies of ablated plasma and shocks produced in a planar target by a sub-nanosecond laser pulse of intensity relevant to shock ignition

0454631 - FZÚ 2016 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Badziak, J. - Antonelli, L. - Baffigi, F. - Batani, D. - Chodukowski, T. - Cristoforetti, G. - Dudžák, Roman - Gizzi, L.A. - Folpini, G. - Hall, F. - Kalinowska, Z. - Koester, P. - Krouský, Eduard - Kucharik, M. - Labate, L. - Liska, R. - Malka, G. - Maheut, Y. - Parys, P. - Pfeifer, Miroslav - Pisarczyk, T. - Renner, Oldřich - Rosinski, M. - Ryć, L. - Skála, Jiří - Šmíd, Jiří - Spindloe, C. - Ullschmied, Jiří - Zaras-Szydlowska, A.
Studies of ablated plasma and shocks produced in a planar target by a sub-nanosecond laser pulse of intensity relevant to shock ignition.
Laser and Particle Beams. Roč. 33, č. 3 (2015), s. 561-575. ISSN 0263-0346. E-ISSN 1469-803X
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT ED1.1.00/02.0061; GA MŠMT(CZ) LD14089
EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 284464 - LASERLAB-EUROPE
Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0061
Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021
Keywords : laser fusion * laser-produced plasma * plasma ablation * shock ignition
Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics; BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers (UFP-V)
Impact factor: 1.649, year: 2015

The effect of laser intensity on characteristics of the plasma ablated from a low-Z (CH) planar target as well as on parameters of the laser-driven shock generated in the target for various scale-lengths of preformed plasma was investigated at the kilojoule PALS laser facility. Characteristics of the plasma were measured with the use of 3-frame interferometry, ion diagnostics, an X-ray spectrometer, and Kα imaging. It was found that the pressure of the shock generated in the plastic layer is relatively weakly influenced by the preplasma and the maximum pressure reaches 80-90 Mbar. However, an increase in pressure of the shock with the laser intensity is slower than predicted by theory for a planar shock and the maximum pressure achieved in the experiment is by a factor of 2 lower than predicted by the theory. The laser-to-hot electrons energy conversion efficiency is small, 1% or below, and the influence of hot electrons on the generated shock is expected to be weak.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0255305