TIME EVOLUTION OF THE ELECTRON-DENSITY AND TEMPERATURE IN LASER-PRODUCED PLASMAS FROM YBA2CU3O7

Laser radiation at 1.06 mu m from a pulsed Nd:YAG laser was focused on to a multielement YBa2Cu3O7 target in vacuum and the plasma thus gener ated was studied using time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. Line br oadening of the Ba I emission line at 553.5 nm was monitored as a func tion of time elapsed after the incidence of a laser pulse on the targe t. Measured line profiles of barium species were used to infer the ele ctron density and temperature, and the time evolution of these importa nt plasma parameters has been worked out.