Abstract

Acceleration of thin-toil targets irradiated by a focused Nd-laser beam with energy to 200 J in 3-nsec pulses was investigated. Recent results of these investigations are presented and discussed. The laser system has been previously described.¹ The main measurements were performed In the 10¹³⁻3 × 10¹⁴-W/cm² range of power densities. (At best focus ~80% of the laser beam energy was contained in an elliptic focal spot with major and minor diameters of 150 and 250 μm.) The measurements presented here are made using 3-20-μm thick Al, Cu, and Ni foils, (CH₂)_n, and Mylar films. Targets consisting of thin layers of (CH₂)_n on Ai foil substrates and thin layers of Al on Cu foil substrates were used to estimate the thickness of material ablated from a target.

© 1983 Optical Society of America