Isochoric heating and strong blast wave formation driven by fast electrons in solid-density targets. (4th October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santos, J J; Vauzour, B; Touati, M; Gremillet, L; Feugeas, J-L; Ceccotti, T; Bouillaud, R; Deneuville, F; Floquet, V; Fourment, C; Hadj-Bachir, M; Hulin, S; Morace, A; Nicolaï, Ph; d'Oliveira, P; Reau, F; Samaké, A; Tcherbakoff, O; Tikhonchuk, V T; Veltcheva, M; Batani, D
• Is Part Of: New journal of physics. Volume 19:Number 10(2017:Oct.)
• Publication Date: 2017-10-04
• Subjects: isochoric heating -- blast-wave -- fast electron transport; 52.50.-b -- 52.38.Kd -- 52.65.-y -- 52.70.La; Physics -- Periodicals; Physics; Periodicals; 530.05
• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/aa806b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-2630

Abstract

Abstract: We experimentally investigate the fast ( < 1 ps ) isochoric heating of multi-layer metallic foils and subsequent high-pressure hydrodynamics induced by energetic electrons driven by high-intensity, high-contrast laser pulses. The early-time temperature profile inside the target is measured from the streaked optical pyrometry of the target rear side. This is further characterized from benchmarked simulations of the laser-target interaction and the fast electron transport. Despite a modest laser energy ( < 1 J ), the early-time high pressures and associated gradients launch inwards a strong compression wave developing over ≳ 10 ps into a ≈ 140 Mbar blast wave, according to hydrodynamic simulations, consistent with our measurements. These experimental and numerical findings pave the way to a short-pulse-laser-based platform dedicated to high-energy-density physics studies.