Investigations of Laser Initiated Discharge Channels.

Abstract

We report progress on the generation of intense, microsecond, electron beams. Diode closure has been studied for electron beam pulselengths up to 4 microseconds. Reduced density channels produced by laser induced gas breakdown and by laser guided discharges are modelled by means of a one dimensional gas hydrodynamics code for times earlier than the onset of convective mixing. Comparison of laser induced gas breakdown experiments with the code indicate that the conversion of laser energy to gas heating is limited to 25-30%. Collinear holographic measurements of channel density profiles produced by laser guided discharges are found to be in good agreement with code predictions for times less than 50 s. This agrees with other experiments which have indicated onset times for convective mixing in the range 50-70 microsec. after the start of the discharge. A Monte Carlo Fokker Planck code is used to investigate the scattering loss of particles from a relativistic electron beam propagating in a low pressure air channel.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 19, 1985
Accession Number
ADA158872

Entities

People

  • R. M. Gilgenbach
  • T. Kammash

Organizations

  • University of Michigan

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Charged Particles
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Electron Beams
  • Engineering
  • Experimental Data
  • Explosives
  • Field Emission
  • Generators
  • Materials
  • Materials Processing
  • Measurement
  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Photographs
  • Photography
  • Pulsed Power
  • Resistance
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics