Energy transport in plasmas produced by a high brightness krypton flouride laser focused to a line

Journal article

Axial and lateral transport of energy from a KrF laser line focus has been measured by analysis of x-ray images and from x-ray spectra emitted by a witness layer of NaF with varying overlay thicknesses. The ratio of the distance between the critical density surface and the ablation surface to the laser focal width controls lateral transport. The measured axial energy transport was compared to MEDUSA one-dimensional hydrodynamic code simulations with flux limited thermal conductively using an average atom post-processor for predicting spectral line intensities. An energy absorption of approx. 10% in the code gives agreement with the experimental axial penetration. Various measured line ratios of hydrogen - and helium-like Na and F have been investigated as temperature diagnostics in the NaF layer using the RATION code.

Authors: Al-Hadithi, Y; Tallents, G; Zhang, J; Key, M; Norreys, P

• Publisher: American Inst of Physics
• Journal: Physics of Plasmas
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 5 pt 1
• Pages: 1279-1286
• Publication date: 1994-05-01
• DOI: 10.1063/1.870726
• ISSN: 1070-664X
• Language: English