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Spherically symmetric high-velocity plasma expansions into background gases

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2009

Tai-Ho Tan  and
Joseph E. Borovsky
Tai-Ho Tan
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
Joseph E. Borovsky
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
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Abstract

Spherically symmetric plasmas with high expansion velocities have been produced by irradiating targets with eight beams from the Helios CO2 laser in the presence of gases at various pressures. Attention was given to the properties of the target-emitted ions in order to obtain information about the ion acceleration mechanisms in plasma expansions. Photo-ionization of the ambient gases by the soft X-ray emission from the laser-irradiated targets produced background plasmas, permitting plasma counterstreaming experiments to be performed in spherical geometry. Successful laser-target coupling in the presence of background gases is obtained, modification of the ion acceleration in accordance with isothermal-expansion models is observed, and an absence of collective coupling between collisionless counterstreaming plasmas is found.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Plasma Physics , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , April 1986 , pp. 239 - 256
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1986

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