Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1772686 | High Energy Density Physics | 2012 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
We report on the characterisation of the upstream medium ahead of a radiative cylindrical blast wave launched in an argon cluster gas with a 1Â J, 1Â ps, 1054Â nm Nd:Glass laser system. By launching two perpendicular blast waves and introducing a time delay between the heating beams it is possible to determine the extent of the cluster medium by observing the high energy absorption region associated with clusters, as apposed to the low energy deposition in monatomic gas. It was found that argon ions launched from the initial laser driven cluster ionisation created a ballistic ion wave which sweeps out ahead of the hydrodynamic blast wave at an initial velocity of 1000Â kmsâ1. This ballistic wave disassembles the clusters ahead of the blast wave into a neutral gas medium before the arrival of a radiative precursor. This observation gives us confidence that the dynamics of a radiative blast wave in cluster based experiments is determined primarily by the properties of an upstream atomic gas, and is not significantly influenced by cluster affects on energy transport or other material properties.
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Authors
S.I. Olsson Robbie, H.W. Doyle, D.R. Symes, R.A. Smith,