Aneurisms in Laser-Driven Blast Waves
Abstract
When a short-pulse laser beam is focused onto a solid target in a few Torr ambient gas, the expanding target plasma couples to the resulting ambient plasma. Dark-field shadowgrams show that a thin, nearly-spherical blast front is produced. These shadowgrams also show the certain regions of the blast front (called aneurisms) may project well ahead of the neighboring, spherical part. Several mechanisms for aneurisms are discussed. One class of aneurisms is consistently produced along the laser axis when the laser energy is greater than about 10 Joules. Two-dimensional, hydrodynamic computer simulations of these on- axis aneurisms show that they can be accounted for the laser heating of an on- axis channel.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 25, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA200189
Entities
People
- Barrett H. Ripin
- John A. Stamper
- R. E. Peterkin Jr.
- R. F. Stellingwerf
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory