Plasma jet generation by flyer disk collision with massive target

In this paper, results from experiments with Al flyer targets (disks with a diameter of 300 mm and a thickness of 6 mm) accelerated at first to high velocities by PALS iodine laser pulses (with an energy of 130 J, pulse duration of 400 ps, a wavelength of 1.315 mm, and laser spot diameter of 250 mm), subsequently creating craters after their collisions with massive Al targets (placed at a distance of the order of 200 mm) are presented. To measure the plasma density evolution a three frame interferometric system was employed. The experimental results demonstrate that the flyer disk-massive target collision generates an axial plasma jet corresponding to a flat shock wave propagating in a massive target. This form of the shock wave was deduced from a crater trapezoidal shape which was reconstructed by means of crater replica technique.