LATERAL ENERGY-TRANSPORT IN LASER-PRODUCED PLASMAS

Lateral energy transport in laser-produced plasmas has been studied by irradiating planar polystyrene foils with 0.53-mu m-wavelength, spati ally nonuniform laser beams. Spatially resolved x-ray emission pattern s and spectra were recorded to infer the temperatures, ionization stat es, and time-integrated hydrodynamic histories of plasma originating f rom tracer layers embedded in the targets. The conditions of the exper iment have been simulated using a two-dimensional single fluid hydrody namic code. The experimental results and code predictions are in good agreement, indicating that a moderate amount of ablation occurs in the nonirradiated region of the target.