Abstract Details
Collimation of dense laboratory plasma jets studied with soft x-ray laser interferometry
Author: Michael A. Purvis
Requested Type: Poster Only
Submitted: 2009-04-21 22:44:21
Co-authors: J.Filevich, J.Grava, D.P.Ryan, J.Dunn, S.J.Moon, V.N.Shlyaptsev, J.J.Rocca
Contact Info:
Colorado State University
1320 Campus Delivery ERC rmB30
Fort Collins, CO 80523
USA
Abstract Text:
The collimation of dense laboratory plasma jets created by laser irradiation of 90˚ grooved targets on C, Al, Cu, and Mo targets at I = 1 x 10^12 W/cm^2 was studied by combining 2-D electron density maps produced with soft x-ray interferometry with code simulations. The jet is initiated by accelerated plasma from the vertex and is augmented by the sequential arrival of wall material along the symmetry plane, where it collides and is re-directed outward. Jets created from higher Z target material are observed to exhibit a significantly higher degree of collimation. The role that plasma radiation and atomic mass play in jet collimation was investigated with hydrodynamic simulations. The increased mass of the higher Z target results in a slower plasma expansion velocity that retards the evolution of the jet, such that at any given time during their evolution the higher Z materials are more collimated. However, aside from this inertial effect, the larger radiation cooling of the higher Z materials is found to significantly contribute to the increased jet collimation.
Work supported by the NNSA SSAA program through DOE Grant # DE-FG52-060NA26152 and the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The work made use of the facilities of the NSF ERC for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology.
Comments:
Please place near the poster submitted by Jorge Filevich entitled "Bow Shocks Formed by the Collision of Plasmas in Laser-Irradiated Cylindrical Cavities"