High spatial resolution in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of expanding plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, J.; Epurescu, G.; Perea, A.; Gordillo-Vazquez, F.J.; Gonzalo, J.; Afonso, C.N.

2005-01-01

We report a technique that is able to achieve high spatial resolution in the measurement of the temporal and spectral emission characteristics of laser-induced expanding plasmas. The plasma is imaged directly onto the slit of an imaging spectrograph coupled to a time-gated intensified camera, with the plasma expansion direction being parallel to the slit extension. In this way, a single hybrid detection system is used to acquire the spatial, spectral and temporal characteristics of the laser induced plasma. The parallel acquisition approach of this technique ensures a much better spatial resolution in the expansion direction, reproducibility and data acquisition speed than commonly obtained by sequential measurements at different distances from the target. We have applied this technique to study the laser-induced plasma in LiNbO 3 and Bi 12 Ge 1 O 20 , revealing phenomena not seen in such detail with standard instruments. These include extreme line broadening up to a few nanometers accompanied by self-absorption near the target surface, as well as different ablation and expansion dynamics for the different species ejected. Overall, the high precision and wealth of quantitative information accessible with this technique open up new possibilities for the study of fundamental plasma expansion processes during pulsed laser ablation

Dual-wavelength differential spectroscopic imaging for diagnostics of laser-induced plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motto-Ros, V., E-mail: vincent.motto-ros@univ-lyon1.fr [Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France); Ma, Q.L. [Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France); Gregoire, S. [CRITT Matriaux Alsace, 19 rue de St Junien, 67300 Schiltigheim (France); Lei, W.Q.; Wang, X.C. [Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France); Pelascini, F.; Surma, F. [CRITT Matriaux Alsace, 19 rue de St Junien, 67300 Schiltigheim (France); Detalle, V. [Laboratoire de Recherche des Monuments Historiques, 29 rue de Paris, 77420 Champs-sur-Marne (France); Yu, J. [Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France)

2012-08-15

A specific configuration for plasma fast spectroscopic imaging was developed, where a pair of narrowband filters, one fitting an emission line of a species to be studied and the other out of its emission line, allowed double images to be taken for a laser-induced plasma. A dedicated software was developed for the subtraction between the double images. The result represents therefore the monochromatic emission image of the species in the plasma. We have shown in this work that such configuration is especially efficient for the monitoring of a plasma generated under the atmospheric pressure at very short delays after the impact of the laser pulse on the target, when a strong continuum emission is observed. The efficiency of the technique has been particularly demonstrated in the study of laser-induced plasma on a polymer target. Molecular species, such as C{sub 2} and CN, as well as atomic species, such as C and N, were imaged starting from 50 ns after the laser impact. Moreover space segregation of different species, atomic or molecular, inside of the plasma was clearly observed. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Imaging to study species with time and space resolution in laser induced plasma. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Image display of multiple species is proposed based on RGB color model. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Molecular emission (CN and C{sub 2}) is observed at very short delays (50 ns). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Segregation of different species inside the plasma is clearly established.

Study on the effects of ion motion on laser-induced plasma wakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Suyun; Yu Wei; Yuan Xiao; Xu Han; Cao, L. H.; Cai, H. B.; Zhou, C. T.

2012-01-01

A 2D analytical model is presented for the generation of plasma wakes (or bubbles) with an ultra-intense laser pulse by taking into account the response of plasma ions. It is shown that the effect of ion motion becomes significant at the laser intensity exceeding 10 21 W/cm 2 and plasma background density below 10 19 cm −3 . In this regime, ion motion tends to suppress the electrostatic field induced by charge separation and makes the electron acceleration less effective. As a result, the assumption of immobile ions overestimates the efficiency of laser wake-field acceleration of electrons. Based on the analytical model, the dynamics of plasma ions in laser-induced wake field is investigated. It is found that only one bubble appears as the plasmas background density exceeds the resonant density and the deposited laser energy is concentrated into the bubble, resulting in the generation of an ion bunch with extremely high energy density.

Remote triggering of high voltage systems by laser-induced plasmas

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

West, NJ

2008-08-01

Full Text Available -induced plasma was found to play a significant role in the breakdown process – best results being obtained when the laser was focused in the centre of the gap. Finally, the shape of the laser-induced arc is dependant on the applied electric field. When the field...

Faraday cup measurements of a laser-induced plasma for a laser-proton acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seong Hee; Jeong, Young Uk; Lee, Ki Tae

2006-01-01

Experiments for the generation of laser-induced protons were performed in collaboration with Advanced Photonics Research Institute (APRI). An intensity of 3 X 10 18 W/cm 2 was delivered to a 17-μm Al target, and the Faraday Cup signals of the charged particles generated by the laser-plasma interaction were measured. In this paper, we discuss the first experimental results of laser-induced proton generation using the APRI laser and report on the feasibility of current measurement for charged-particles when using a Faraday cup.

Liquid steel analysis by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruber, J.

2002-11-01

When a nanosecond pulsed laser is focused onto a sample and the intensity exceeds a certain threshold, material is vaporized and a plasma is formed above the sample surface. The laser-light becomes increasingly absorbed by inverse bremsstrahlung and by photo-excitation and photo-ionization of atoms and molecules. The positive feedback, by which the number of energetic electrons for ionization is increased in an avalanche-like manner under the influence of laser-light, is the so-called optical breakdown. Radiating excited atoms and ions within the expanding plasma plume produce a characteristic optical emission spectrum. A spectroscopic analysis of this optical emission of the laser-induced plasma permits a qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis of the investigated sample. This technique is therefore often called laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIPS is a fast non-contact technique, by which solid, liquid or gaseous samples can be analyzed with respect to their chemical composition. Hence, it is an appropriate tool for the rapid in-situ analysis of not easily accessible surfaces for process control in industrial environments. In this work, LIPS was studied as a technique to determine the chemical composition of solid and liquid steel. A LIPS set-up was designed and built for the remote and continuous in-situ analysis of the steel melt. Calibration curves were prepared for the LIPS analysis of Cr, Mn, Ni and Cu in solid steel using reference samples with known composition. In laboratory experiments an induction furnace was used to melt steel samples in crucibles, which were placed at a working distance of 1.5 m away from the LIPS apparatus. The response of the LIPS system was monitored on-line during the addition of pure elements to the liquid steel bath within certain concentration ranges (Cr: 0.11 - 13.8 wt%, Cu: 0.044 - 0.54 wt%, Mn: 1.38 - 2.5 wt%, Ni: 0.049 - 5.92 wt%). The analysis of an element

Study on Laser Induced Plasma Produced in Liquid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuda, N.; Yamada, J.

2003-01-01

When an intense laser light is focused in liquid, a hot plasma is produced at the focal spot. The breakdown threshold and the transmittance of sodium choroids solution are observed using excimer laser or YAG laser. The breakdown threshold decreases with increasing NaCl concentration. Threshold intensity of plasma produced by YAG laser is lower than excimer laser. The behavior of plasma development is observed by a streak camera. The plasma produced by a YAG laser develops only backward. However, the plasma produced by excimer laser develops not only backward but also forward same as the plasma development in high-pressure gases

Laser-induced gas plasma machining

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elhadj, Selim; Bass, Isaac Louis; Guss, Gabriel Mark; Matthews, Manyalibo J.

2017-10-17

Techniques for removing material from a substrate are provided. A laser beam is focused at a distance from the surface to be treated. A gas is provided at the focus point. The gas is dissociated using the laser energy to generate gas plasma. The substrate is then brought in contact with the gas plasma to enable material removal.

Molecular signatures in femtosecond laser-induced organic plasmas: comparison with nanosecond laser ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano, Jorge; Moros, Javier; Laserna, J Javier

2016-01-28

During the last few years, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has evolved significantly in the molecular sensing area through the optical monitoring of emissions from organic plasmas. Large efforts have been made to study the formation pathways of diatomic radicals as well as their connections with the bonding framework of molecular solids. Together with the structural and chemical-physical properties of molecules, laser ablation parameters seem to be closely tied to the observed spectral signatures. This research focuses on evaluating the impact of laser pulse duration on the production of diatomic species that populate plasmas of organic materials. Differences in relative intensities of spectral signatures from the plasmas of several organic molecules induced in femtosecond (fs) and nanosecond (ns) ablation regimes have been studied. Beyond the abundance and origin of diatomic radicals that seed the plasma, findings reveal the crucial role of the ablation regime in the breakage pattern of the molecule. The laser pulse duration dictates the fragments and atoms resulting from the vaporized molecules, promoting some formation routes at the expense of other paths. The larger amount of fragments formed by fs pulses advocates a direct release of native bonds and a subsequent seeding of the plasma with diatomic species. In contrast, in the ns ablation regime, the atomic recombinations and single displacement processes dominate the contribution to diatomic radicals, as long as atomization of molecules prevails over their progressive decomposition. Consequently, fs-LIBS better reflects correlations between strengths of emissions from diatomic species and molecular structure as compared to ns-LIBS. These new results entail a further step towards the specificity in the analysis of molecular solids by fs-LIBS.

Railgun pellet injection system using a laser-induced plasma armature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onozuka, M.; Oda, Y.; Azuma, K. [Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Yokohama (Japan). Advanced Technology Development Dept.; Kasai, S.; Hasegawa, K. [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Naka, Ibaraki (Japan)

1996-06-01

An electromagnetic railgun pellet injection system that utilizes a laser-induced plasma armature formation has been developed for fusion experimental devices. Using the laser-induced plasma formation technique, the required breakdown voltage was reduced by one-tenth compared with that for the spark-discharged plasma. A small amount of hydrogen gas increased the breakdown voltage of helium gas. This effect is considered to be one of the reasons for lowering the energy conversion coefficient for hydrogen pellet acceleration. To compensate for the low pellet acceleration efficiency, a railgun with ceramic insulators and an augmented rail structure has been tested. The energy conversion coefficient using the augmented railgun was further increased from that using a single-rail structure with the plastic insulators. The average acceleration rate was almost doubled. The highest hydrogen pellet velocity was about 2.3 km s{sup -1}. (Author).

Railgun pellet injection system using a laser-induced plasma armature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onozuka, M.; Oda, Y.; Azuma, K.

1996-01-01

An electromagnetic railgun pellet injection system that utilizes a laser-induced plasma armature formation has been developed for fusion experimental devices. Using the laser-induced plasma formation technique, the required breakdown voltage was reduced by one-tenth compared with that for the spark-discharged plasma. A small amount of hydrogen gas increased the breakdown voltage of helium gas. This effect is considered to be one of the reasons for lowering the energy conversion coefficient for hydrogen pellet acceleration. To compensate for the low pellet acceleration efficiency, a railgun with ceramic insulators and an augmented rail structure has been tested. The energy conversion coefficient using the augmented railgun was further increased from that using a single-rail structure with the plastic insulators. The average acceleration rate was almost doubled. The highest hydrogen pellet velocity was about 2.3 km s -1 . (Author)

Analysis of relaxing laser-induced plasmas by absorption spectroscopy: Toward a new quantitative diagnostic technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ribiere, M.; Cheron, B.G.

2010-01-01

Broad-band near UV absorption spectroscopy was used to analyze atmospheric laser-induced plasmas formed on metallic and refractory targets. When the common emission spectroscopy only provides the density of the radiating atomic excited states, the technique reported in this paper is able to achieve high spatial resolution in the measurement of absolute number densities in expanding laser-induced plasmas. The reliability and the versatility of this technique, which is based on the comparison between results of the numerical integration of the radiative transfer equation and experimental spectra, were tested on different targets. The evolutions in time and space of the absolute population of the plasma species originating from metallic alloys (Al-Mg and Cu-Ni) and refractory materials (C/SiC) were achieved over large time scales. Owing to its accuracy, this absorption technique (that we call 'LIPAS' for Laser Induced Plasma Absorption Spectroscopy) should bring a new and enhanced support to the validation of collisional-radiative models attempting to provide reliable evolutions of laser-induced plasmas.

Production and Characterization of Femtosecond-Laser-Induced Air Plasma

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Armbruster, David R

2008-01-01

.... A beam expander was used to expand the beam to a diameter of approximately 6.5 mm, and the beam was focused through a 25 mm focal length achromatic lens to produce laser-induced plasma in ambient air...

Laser-induced plasma spectrometry: truly a surface analytical tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vadillo, Jose M.; Laserna, J.

2004-01-01

For a long period, analytical applications of laser induced plasma spectrometry (LIPS) have been mainly restricted to overall and quantitative determination of elemental composition in bulk, solid samples. However, introduction of new compact and reliable solid state lasers and technological development in multidimensional intensified detectors have made possible the seeking of new analytical niches for LIPS where its analytical advantages (direct sampling from any material irrespective of its conductive status without sample preparation and with sensitivity adequate for many elements in different matrices) could be fully exploited. In this sense, the field of surface analysis could take advantage from the cited advantages taking into account in addition, the capability of LIPS for spot analysis, line scan, depth-profiling, area analysis and compositional mapping with a single instrument in air at atmospheric pressure. This review paper outlines the fundamental principles of laser-induced plasma emission relevant to sample surface studies, discusses the experimental parameters governing the spatial (lateral and in-depth) resolution in LIPS analysis and presents the applications concerning surface examination

Frequency domain and wavelet analysis of the laser-induced plasma shock waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burger, Miloš, E-mail: milosb@ff.bg.ac.rs; Nikolić, Zoran

2015-08-01

In addition to optical emission, another trace of interest that laser-induced plasma provides is a form of acoustic feedback. The acoustic emission (AE) signals were obtained using both microphone and piezo transducers. This kind of optoacoustic signals have some distinct features resembling the short, burst-like sounds, that may differ significantly depending mainly on the sample exposed and irradiance applied. Experiments were performed on atmospheric pressure by irradiating various metallic samples. The recorded waveforms were examined and numerically processed. Single-shot acoustical spectra have shown significant potential of providing valuable supplementary information regarding plasma propagation dynamics. Moreover, the general approach suggests the possibility of making the whole measurement system cost-effective and portable. - Highlights: • We report acoustical waveform, and acoustical spectroscopy measurements and analysis in a laser-induced plasma of a different metals in air. • Both piezo and microphone transducer were used. • The acoustical spectra of the emission were obtained when the sample (and plasma) were enclosed in experimental chamber. • The acquired acoustical spectra are time-integrated and the frequency peaks were sharp and relatively isolated. • Finally, both time and frequency resolved wavelet spectrogram present a novel method of observing laser-induced plasma behavior.

Enhancement and stabilization of plasma using collinear long-short double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Minchao; Deguchi, Yoshihiro; Wang, Zhenzhen; Fujita, Yuki; Liu, Renwei; Shiou, Fang-Jung; Zhao, Shengdun

2018-04-01

A collinear long-short dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS) method was employed to enhance and stabilize the laser-induced plasma from steel sample. The long-pulse-width laser beam with the pulse width of 60 μs was generated by a Nd: YAG laser which was operated at FR (free running) mode. The comparative experiments were carried out between single pulse LIBS (SP-LIBS) and long-short DP-LIBS. The recorded results showed that the emission intensities and the temperature of plasma were enhanced by long-short DP-LIBS. The plasma images showed that the plasma was bigger and had a longer lifetime in long-short DP-LIBS situation. Through the calculation of time-resolved plasma temperature and intensity ratio, it can be concluded that the plasma was stabilized by the long-pulse-width laser beam. The long-short DP-LIBS method also generated the stable plasma condition from the samples with different initial temperatures, which overcame the difficulties of LIBS in the online measurement for steel production line.

Boron- and iron-bearing molecules in laser-induced plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaft, M.; Nagli, L.; Eliezer, N.; Groisman, Y.

2015-08-01

Boron combines with alkali-earth elements, such as Ca, Mg, and Sr and with oxygen to form molecules in LIP of boron-bearing minerals with strong and characteristic band emission. It may be supposed that those bands are of CaBO{sub 2}, MgBO{sub 2} and SrBO{sub 2} type. Besides, emission of BO, BO{sub 2} and FeO is also detected. - Highlights: • We studied laser-induced breakdown spectra of B with Ca, Mg and Sr in air. • Emission of polyatomic molecules was found. • Molecules of FeO were found in laser-induced plasma in air.

New photoionization lasers pumped by laser-induced plasma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hube, M.; Dieckmann, M.; Beigang, R.; Welling, H.; Wellegehausen, B.

1988-01-01

Innershell photoionization of atomic gases and vapors by soft x rays from a laser-produced plasma is a potential method for making lasers at short wavelengths. Normally, in such experiments only a single plasma spot or plasma line is created for the excitation. This gives high excitation rates but only a short excitation length. At high excitation rates detrimental influences, such as amplified spontaneous emission, optical saturation, or quenching processes, may decrease or even destroy a possible inversion. Therefore, it seems to be more favorable to use a number of separated plasma spots with smaller excitation rates and larger excitation lengths. As a test, a three-plasma spot device was constructed and used in the well-known Cd-photoionization laser at 442 nm. With a 600-mJ Nd:YAH laser (pulse length, 8 ns) for plasma production, output energies up to 300 μJ have been measured, which is more than a doubling of so far obtained data. On innershell excitation, levels may be populated that allow direct lasers as in the case of Cd or that are metastable and cannot be directly coupled to lower levels. In this case modifications in the excitation process are necessary. Such modifications may be an optical pump process in the atom prior to the innershell photoionization or an optical pump process (population transfer process) after the innershell ionization, leading to Raman or anti-Stokes Raman-type laser emissions. With these techniques and the developed multiplasma spot excitation device a variety of new laser emissions in K and Cs ions have been achieved which are indicated in the level schemes

Ultraviolet versus infrared: Effects of ablation laser wavelength on the expansion of laser-induced plasma into one-atmosphere argon gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Qianli; Motto-Ros, Vincent; Laye, Fabrice; Yu Jin; Lei Wenqi; Bai Xueshi; Zheng Lijuan; Zeng Heping

2012-01-01

Laser-induced plasma from an aluminum target in one-atmosphere argon background has been investigated with ablation using nanosecond ultraviolet (UV: 355 nm) or infrared (IR: 1064 nm) laser pulses. Time- and space-resolved emission spectroscopy was used as a diagnostics tool to have access to the plasma parameters during its propagation into the background, such as optical emission intensity, electron density, and temperature. The specific feature of nanosecond laser ablation is that the pulse duration is significantly longer than the initiation time of the plasma. Laser-supported absorption wave due to post-ablation absorption of the laser radiation by the vapor plume and the shocked background gas plays a dominant role in the propagation and subsequently the behavior of the plasma. We demonstrate that the difference in absorption rate between UV and IR radiations leads to different propagation behaviors of the plasma produced with these radiations. The consequence is that higher electron density and temperature are observed for UV ablation. While for IR ablation, the plasma is found with lower electron density and temperature in a larger and more homogenous axial profile. The difference is also that for UV ablation, the background gas is principally evacuated by the expansion of the vapor plume as predicted by the standard piston model. While for IR ablation, the background gas is effectively mixed to the ejected vapor at least hundreds of nanoseconds after the initiation of the plasma. Our observations suggest a description by laser-supported combustion wave for the propagation of the plasma produced by UV laser, while that by laser-supported detonation wave for the propagation of the plasma produced by IR laser. Finally, practical consequences of specific expansion behavior for UV or IR ablation are discussed in terms of analytical performance promised by corresponding plasmas for application with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Local thermodynamic equilibrium in a laser-induced plasma evidenced by blackbody radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Hermann, Jörg; Grojo, David; Axente, Emanuel; Craciun, Valentin

2018-06-01

We show that the plasma produced by laser ablation of solid materials in specific conditions has an emission spectrum that is characterized by the saturation of the most intense spectral lines at the blackbody radiance. The blackbody temperature equals the excitation temperature of atoms and ions, proving directly and unambiguously a plasma in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The present investigations take benefit from the very rich and intense emission spectrum generated by ablation of a nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy. This alternative and direct proof of the plasma equilibrium state re-opens the perspectives of quantitative material analyses via calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Moreover, the unique properties of this laser-produced plasma promote its use as radiation standard for intensity calibration of spectroscopic instruments.

Magnetic field generation by circularly polarized laser light and inertial plasma confinement in a miniature 'Magnetic Bottle' induced by circularly polarized laser light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolka, E.

1993-07-01

A new concept of hot plasma confinement in a miniature magnetic bottle induced by circularly polarized laser light is suggested in this work. Magnetic fields generated by circularly polarized laser light may be of the order of megagauss. In this configuration the circularly polarized laser light is used to get confinement of a plasma contained in a good conductor vessel. The poloidal magnetic field induced by the circularly polarized laser and the efficiency of laser absorption by the plasma are calculated in this work. The confinement in this scheme is supported by the magnetic forces and the Lawson criterion for a DT plasma might be achieved for number density n=5*10 21 cm -3 and confinement time τ= 20 nsec. The laser and the plasma parameters required to get an energetic gain are calculated. (authors)

Influence of mode-beating pulse on laser-induced plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Nishihara, M.; Freund, J. B.; Glumac, N. G.; Elliott, G. S.

2018-04-01

This paper addresses the influence of mode-beating pulse on laser-induced plasma. The second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser, operated either with the single mode or multimode, was used for non-resonant optical breakdown, and subsequent plasma development was visualized using a streak imaging system. The single mode lasing leads to a stable breakdown location and smooth envelopment of the plasma boundary, while the multimode lasing, with the dominant mode-beating frequency of 500-800 MHz, leads to fluctuations in the breakdown location, a globally modulated plasma surface, and growth of local microstructures at the plasma boundary. The distribution of the local inhomogeneity was measured from the elastic scattering signals on the streak image. The distance between the local structures agreed with the expected wavelength of hydrodynamic instability development due to the interference between the surface excited wave and transmitted wave. A numerical simulation, however, indicates that the local microstructure could also be directly generated at the peaks of the higher harmonic components if the multimode pulse contains up to the eighth harmonic of the fundamental cavity mode.

Modeling of plasma plume induced during laser welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moscicki, T.; Hoffman, J.; Szymanski, Z.

2005-01-01

During laser welding, the interaction of intense laser radiation with a work-piece leads to the formation of a long, thin, cylindrical cavity in a metal, called a keyhole. Generation of a keyhole enables the laser beam to penetrate into the work-piece and is essential for deep welding. The keyhole contains ionized metal vapour and is surrounded by molten material called the weld pool. The metal vapour, which flows from the keyhole mixes with the shielding gas flowing from the opposite direction and forms a plasma plume over the keyhole mouth. The plasma plume has considerable influence on the processing conditions. Plasma strongly absorbs laser radiation and significantly changes energy transfer from the laser beam to a material. In this paper the results of theoretical modelling of plasma plume induced during welding with CO 2 laser are presented. The set of equations consists of equation of conservation of mass, energy, momentum and the diffusion equation: ∂ρ/∂t + ∇·(ρ ρ ν =0; ∂(ρE)/∂t + ∇·( ρ ν (ρE + p)) = ∇ (k eff ∇T - Σ j h j ρ J j + (τ eff · ρ ν )) + Σ i κ i I i - R; ∂/∂t(ρ ρ ν ) + ∇· (ρ ρ ν ρ ν ) = - ∇p + ∇(τ) + ρ ρ g + ρ F, where τ is viscous tensor τ = μ[(∇ ρ ν + ∇ ρT ν )-2/3∇· ρ ν I]; ∂/∂t(ρY i ) + ∇·(ρ ρ ν Y i ) = ∇·ρD i,m ∇T i ; where μ ν denotes velocity vector, E - energy, ρ mass density; k - thermal conductivity, T- temperature, κ - absorption coefficient, I i local laser intensity, R - radiation loss function, p - pressure, h j enthalpy, J j - diffusion flux of j component, ν g - gravity, μ F - external force, μ - dynamic viscosity, I - unit tensor, Y i - mass fraction of iron vapor in the gas mixture, D i,m - mass diffusion coefficient. The terms k eff and τ eff contain the turbulent component of the thermal conductivity and the viscosity, respectively. All the material functions are functions of the temperature and mass fraction only. The equations

Laser induced plasma methodology for ignition control in direct injection sprays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pastor, José V.; García-Oliver, José M.; García, Antonio; Pinotti, Mattia

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Laser Induced Plasma Ignition system is designed and applied to a Diesel Spray. • A method for quantification of the system effectiveness and reliability is proposed. • The ignition system is optimized in atmospheric and engine-like conditions. • Higher system effectiveness is reached with higher ambient density. • The system is able to stabilize Diesel combustion compared to auto-ignition cases. - Abstract: New combustion modes for internal combustion engines represent one of the main fields of investigation for emissions control in transportation Industry. However, the implementation of lean fuel mixture condition and low temperature combustion in real engines is limited by different unsolved practical issues. To achieve an appropriate combustion phasing and cycle-to-cycle control of the process, the laser plasma ignition system arises as a valid alternative to the traditional electrical spark ignition system. This paper proposes a methodology to set-up and optimize a laser induced plasma ignition system that allows ensuring reliability through the quantification of the system effectiveness in the plasma generation and positional stability, in order to reach optimal ignition performance. For this purpose, experimental tests have been carried out in an optical test rig. At first the system has been optimized in an atmospheric environment, based on the statistical analysis of the plasma records taken with a high speed camera to evaluate the induction effectiveness and consequently regulate and control the system settings. The same optimization method has then been applied under engine-like conditions, analyzing the effect of thermodynamic ambient conditions on the plasma induction success and repeatability, which have shown to depend mainly on ambient density. Once optimized for selected engine conditions, the laser plasma induction system has been used to ignite a direct injection Diesel spray, and to compare the evolution of combustion

Laser-induced plasmas as an analytical source for quantitative analysis of gaseous and aerosol systems: Fundamentals of plasma-particle interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Diwakar, Prasoon K.

2009-11-01

Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a relatively new analytical diagnostic technique which has gained serious attention in recent past due to its simplicity, robustness, and portability and multi-element analysis capabilities. LIBS has been used successfully for analysis of elements in different media including solids, liquids and gases. Since 1963, when the first breakdown study was reported, to 1983, when the first LIBS experiments were reported, the technique has come a long way, but the majority of fundamental understanding of the processes that occur has taken place in last few years, which has propelled LIBS in the direction of being a well established analytical technique. This study, which mostly focuses on LIBS involving aerosols, has been able to unravel some of the mysteries and provide knowledge that will be valuable to LIBS community as a whole. LIBS processes can be broken down to three basic steps, namely, plasma formation, analyte introduction, and plasma-analyte interactions. In this study, these three steps have been investigated in laser-induced plasma, focusing mainly on the plasma-particle interactions. Understanding plasma-particle interactions and the fundamental processes involved is important in advancing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy as a reliable and accurate analytical technique. Critical understanding of plasma-particle interactions includes study of the plasma evolution, analyte atomization, and the particle dissociation and diffusion. In this dissertation, temporal and spatial studies have been done to understand the fundamentals of the LIBS processes including the breakdown of gases by the laser pulse, plasma inception mechanisms, plasma evolution, analyte introduction and plasma-particle interactions and their influence on LIBS signal. Spectral measurements were performed in a laser-induced plasma and the results reveal localized perturbations in the plasma properties in the vicinity of the analyte species, for

Study of early laser-induced plasma dynamics: Transient electron density gradients via Thomson scattering and Stark Broadening, and the implications on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diwakar, P.K.; Hahn, D.W.

2008-01-01

To further develop laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as an analytical technique, it is necessary to better understand the fundamental processes and mechanisms taking place during the plasma evolution. This paper addresses the very early plasma dynamics (first 100 ns) using direct plasma imaging, light scattering, and transmission measurements from a synchronized 532-nm probe laser pulse. During the first 50 ns following breakdown, significant Thomson scattering was observed while the probe laser interacted with the laser-induced plasma. The Thomson scattering was observed to peak 15-25 ns following plasma initiation and then decay rapidly, thereby revealing the highly transient nature of the free electron density and plasma equilibrium immediately following breakdown. Such an intense free electron density gradient is suggestive of a non-equilibrium, free electron wave generated by the initial breakdown and growth processes. Additional probe beam transmission measurements and electron density measurements via Stark broadening of the 500.1-nm nitrogen ion line corroborate the Thomson scattering observations. In concert, the data support the finding of a highly transient plasma that deviates from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions during the first tens of nanoseconds of plasma lifetime. The implications of this early plasma transient behavior are discussed in the context of plasma-analyte interactions and the role on LIBS measurements

Signal enhancement of neutral He emission lines by fast electron bombardment of laser-induced He plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hery Suyanto

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A time-resolved spectroscopic study is performed on the enhancement signals of He gas plasma emission using nanosecond (ns and picosecond (ps lasers in an orthogonal configuration. The ns laser is used for the He gas plasma generation and the ps laser is employed for the ejection of fast electrons from a metal target, which serves to excite subsequently the He atoms in the plasma. The study is focused on the most dominant He I 587.6 nm and He I 667.8 nm emission lines suggested to be responsible for the He-assisted excitation (HAE mechanism. The time-dependent intensity enhancements induced by the fast electrons generated with a series of delayed ps laser ablations are deduced from the intensity time profiles of both He emission lines. The results clearly lead to the conclusion that the metastable excited triplet He atoms are actually the species overwhelmingly produced during the recombination process in the ns laser-induced He gas plasma. These metastable He atoms are believed to serve as the major energy source for the delayed excitation of analyte atoms in ns laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS using He ambient gas.

Signal enhancement of neutral He emission lines by fast electron bombardment of laser-induced He plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suyanto, Hery [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Udayana University, Kampus Bukit Jimbaran, Denpasar 80361, Bali (Indonesia); Pardede, Marincan [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pelita Harapan, 1100 M.H. Thamrin Boulevard, Lippo Village, Tangerang 15811 (Indonesia); Hedwig, Rinda [Department of Computer Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, 9 K.H. Syahdan, Jakarta 14810 (Indonesia); Marpaung, Alion Mangasi [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Jakarta State University, Rawamangun, Jakarta 12440 (Indonesia); Ramli, Muliadi [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, NAD (Indonesia); Lie, Tjung Jie; Kurniawan, Koo Hendrik, E-mail: kurnia18@cbn.net.id [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia); Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, NAD (Indonesia); Tjia, May On [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia); Physics of Magnetism and Photonics Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, 10 Ganesha,Bandung 40132 (Indonesia); Kagawa, Kiichiro [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia); Fukui Science Education Academy, Takagi Chuo 2 chome, Fukui 910-0804 (Japan)

2016-08-15

A time-resolved spectroscopic study is performed on the enhancement signals of He gas plasma emission using nanosecond (ns) and picosecond (ps) lasers in an orthogonal configuration. The ns laser is used for the He gas plasma generation and the ps laser is employed for the ejection of fast electrons from a metal target, which serves to excite subsequently the He atoms in the plasma. The study is focused on the most dominant He I 587.6 nm and He I 667.8 nm emission lines suggested to be responsible for the He-assisted excitation (HAE) mechanism. The time-dependent intensity enhancements induced by the fast electrons generated with a series of delayed ps laser ablations are deduced from the intensity time profiles of both He emission lines. The results clearly lead to the conclusion that the metastable excited triplet He atoms are actually the species overwhelmingly produced during the recombination process in the ns laser-induced He gas plasma. These metastable He atoms are believed to serve as the major energy source for the delayed excitation of analyte atoms in ns laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) using He ambient gas.

The Spectral Emission Characteristics of Laser Induced Plasma on Tea Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Peichao; Shi Minjie; Wang Jinmei; Liu Hongdi

2015-01-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) provides a useful technique for food security as well as determining nutrition contents. In this paper, optical emission studies of laser induced plasma on commercial tea samples were carried out. The spectral intensities of Mg, Mn, Ca, Al, C and CN vibration bands varying with laser energy and the detection delay time of an intensified charge coupled device were studied. In addition, the relative concentrations of six microelements, i.e., Mg, Mn, Ca, Al, Na and K, were analyzed semi-quantitatively as well as H, for four kinds of tea samples. Moreover, the plasma parameters were explored, including electron temperature and electron number density. The electron temperature and electron number density were around 11000 K and 10 17 cm −3 , respectively. The results show that it is reasonable to consider the LIBS technique as a new method for analyzing the compositions of tea leaf samples. (paper)

Effect of laser induced plasma ignition timing and location on Diesel spray combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pastor, José V.; García-Oliver, José M.; García, Antonio; Pinotti, Mattia

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Laser plasma ignition is applied to a direct injection Diesel spray, compared with auto-ignition. • Critical local fuel/air ratio for LIP provoked ignition is obtained. • The LIP system is able to stabilize Diesel combustion compared to auto-ignition cases. • Varying LIP position along spray axis directly affects Ignition-delay. • Premixed combustion is reduced both by varying position and delay of the LIP ignition system. - Abstract: An experimental study about the influence of the local conditions at the ignition location on combustion development of a direct injection spray is carried out in an optical engine. A laser induced plasma ignition system has been used to force the spray ignition, allowing comparison of combustion’s evolution and stability with the case of conventional autoignition on the Diesel fuel in terms of ignition delay, rate of heat release, spray penetration and soot location evolution. The local equivalence ratio variation along the spray axis during the injection process was determined with a 1D spray model, previously calibrated and validated. Upper equivalence ratios limits for the ignition event of a direct injected Diesel spray, both in terms of ignition success possibilities and stability of the phenomena, could been determined thanks to application of the laser plasma ignition system. In all laser plasma induced ignition cases, heat release was found to be higher than for the autoignition reference cases, and it was found to be linked to a decrease of ignition delay, with the premixed peak in the rate of heat release curve progressively disappearing as the ignition delay time gets shorter. Ignition delay has been analyzed as a function of the laser position, too. It was found that ignition delay increases for plasma positions closer to the nozzle, indicating that the amount of energy introduced by the laser induced plasma is not the only parameter affecting combustion initiation, but local equivalence ratio

Temporal follow-up of plasma parameter in an nuclear grade aluminum laser induced plasma at different laser energies by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karki, Vijay; Singh, Manjeet; Sarkar, Arnab

2015-07-01

We report spectroscopic studies of laser induced plasma (LIP) produced by ns – 532 nm - Nd:YAG laser light pulses for different laser energies (35, 45 and 60 mJ) on an nuclear grade aluminum sample in air at atmospheric pressure. The temporal history of the plasma is obtained by recording the emission features at predetermined delays and at a fixed gate width (2.5 ì s). The temporal profiles of excitation temperature (T e ), ionization temperature (T ion ) and electron number density (N e ) were determined from Boltzmann plot, Saha-Boltzmann equation and Stark broadening method, respectively. T e , T ion and N e , shows a power law decay pattern with increasing acquisition time delay. T e has a positive correlation with laser energy, but the T ion and N e differ negligibly from one laser energy to another. Again the rate of decay of T e increases with increasing laser energy but that of T ion is much slower and independent of laser energy. The follow up of the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions were evaluated using both McWhirter criterion and T e /T ion ratio for different delays and different energies to determine the temporal range in which LTE is satisfied. Both the methods concluded very similar results except for very high energy and small delay conditions, where T e /T ion ratio deviates from unity indicating non-LTE condition. The relative transition probabilities of Al transition (3sp4s: 4 P 2/5 →3sp 2 : 4P 3/2,5/2 ) and (4s: 2 S 1/2 → 3p: 2 P 1/2,3/2 ) were estimated and are in excellent agreement with the Kurucz database. These investigations provide an insight to optimize various parameters during LIBS analysis of aluminum based matrices. (author)

Plasma plume induced during laser welding of Magnesium alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoffman, J.; Szymanski, Z.; Azharonok, V.

2005-01-01

assuming a certain realistic radial temperature distribution and calculating the corresponding synthetic line profile, which, subsequently, is compared to the experimental one. It has been assumed that the radial temperature profile is either Gaussian or triangular, since they are close to the solution of the time-dependent heat transfer equation with a Gaussian source. Owing to relatively high electron density, N e >10 22 m -3 , it can be assumed that a laser-induced plasma is in a state of local thermal equilibrium (LTE). The boundary temperature of 3 kK is assumed. The plasma diameter is 1.0-2.0 mm depending on the distance from the surface. The profile of the spectral line P λ is given by the Voigt function resulting from the convolution of a Gaussian (Doppler effect) and Lorenzian (Stark effect) profile. The synthetic line profiles are calculated for each plasma radius and added along the plasma diameter to get the total profiles. The maximum temperature is varied until the total synthetic profiles fit well the experimental ones and full widths of both profiles are the same. (author)

Effects of the background environment on formation, evolution and emission spectra of laser-induced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Giacomo, A.; Dell'Aglio, M.; Gaudiuso, R.; Amoruso, S.; De Pascale, O.

2012-01-01

In this paper the most important features of Laser Induced Plasma (LIP) evolution were analyzed from the fundamental point of view, in order to point out the effects of background environment on the plasma emission spectra. In particular, the main differences between air and vacuum Laser-Induced Breakdown (LIBS) are discussed, as well as those arising in high-pressure gases and in liquid environment. As can be expected, the dynamics of the plasma is strongly dependent on the environment where the plasma itself expands, which can be exploited for several different applications, ranging from chemical analysis and process diagnostics to materials science. The effect of other experimental conditions, such as the state of aggregation of the irradiated target, and the effect of laser pulse duration are also briefly reviewed. - Highlights: ► General processes involved in laser ablation and plasma generation were reported. ► Effect of number density in the plasma on the spectra features was discussed. ► LIP in gases at different pressures, in liquids and in DP techniques was discussed. ► LIBS spectra in various environments and correlated applications were discussed.

Temperature and Electron Density Determination on Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Plasmas: A Physical Chemistry Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Najarian, Maya L.; Chinni, Rosemarie C.

2013-01-01

This laboratory is designed for physical chemistry students to gain experience using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in understanding plasma diagnostics. LIBS uses a high-powered laser that is focused on the sample causing a plasma to form. The emission of this plasma is then spectrally resolved and detected. Temperature and electron…

Nuclear Fusion Effects Induced in Intense Laser-Generated Plasmas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenzo Torrisi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Deutered polyethylene (CD2n thin and thick targets were irradiated in high vacuum by infrared laser pulses at 1015W/cm2 intensity. The high laser energy transferred to the polymer generates plasma, expanding in vacuum at supersonic velocity, accelerating hydrogen and carbon ions. Deuterium ions at kinetic energies above 4 MeV have been measured by using ion collectors and SiC detectors in time-of-flight configuration. At these energies the deuterium–deuterium collisions may induce over threshold fusion effects, in agreement with the high D-D cross-section valuesaround 3 MeV energy. At the first instants of the plasma generation, during which high temperature, density and ionacceleration occur, the D-D fusions occur as confirmed by the detection of mono-energetic protonsand neutrons with a kinetic energy of 3.0 MeV and 2.5 MeV, respectively, produced by the nuclear reaction. The number of fusion events depends strongly on the experimental set-up, i.e. on the laser parameters (intensity, wavelength, focal spot dimension, target conditions (thickness, chemical composition, absorption coefficient, presence of secondary targets and used geometry (incidence angle, laser spot, secondary target positions.A number of D-D fusion events of the order of 106÷7 per laser shot has been measured.

Enhancement of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) Detection limit using a low-pressure and short-pulse laser-induced plasma process.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhen Zhen; Deguchi, Yoshihiro; Kuwahara, Masakazu; Yan, Jun Jie; Liu, Ji Ping

2013-11-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology is an appealing technique compared with many other types of elemental analysis because of the fast response, high sensitivity, real-time, and noncontact features. One of the challenging targets of LIBS is the enhancement of the detection limit. In this study, the detection limit of gas-phase LIBS analysis has been improved by controlling the pressure and laser pulse width. In order to verify this method, low-pressure gas plasma was induced using nanosecond and picosecond lasers. The method was applied to the detection of Hg. The emission intensity ratio of the Hg atom to NO (IHg/INO) was analyzed to evaluate the LIBS detection limit because the NO emission (interference signal) was formed during the plasma generation and cooling process of N2 and O2 in the air. It was demonstrated that the enhancement of IHg/INO arose by decreasing the pressure to a few kilopascals, and the IHg/INO of the picosecond breakdown was always much higher than that of the nanosecond breakdown at low buffer gas pressure. Enhancement of IHg/INO increased more than 10 times at 700 Pa using picosecond laser with 35 ps pulse width. The detection limit was enhanced to 0.03 ppm (parts per million). We also saw that the spectra from the center and edge parts of plasma showed different features. Comparing the central spectra with the edge spectra, IHg/INO of the edge spectra was higher than that of the central spectra using the picosecond laser breakdown process.

Effects induced by high and low intensity laser plasma on SiC Schottky detectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sciuto Antonella

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Silicon-Carbide detectors are extensively employed as diagnostic devices in laser-generated plasma, allowing the simultaneous detection of photons, electrons and ions, when used in time-of-flight configuration. The plasma generated by high intensity laser (1016 W/cm2 producing high energy ions was characterized by SiC detector with a continuous front-electrode, and a very thick active depth, while SiC detector with an Interdigit front-electrode was used to measure the low energy ions of plasma generated by low intensity laser (1010 W/cm2. Information about ion energy, number of charge states, plasma temperature can be accurately obtained. However, laser exposure induces the formation of surface and bulk defects whose concentration increases with increasing the time to plasma exposure. The surface defects consist of clusters with a main size of the order of some microns and they modify the diode barrier height and the efficiency of the detector as checked by alpha spectrometry. The bulk defects, due to the energy loss of detected ions, strongly affect the electrical properties of the device, inducing a relevant increase of the leakage (reverse current and decrease the forward current related to a deactivation of the dopant in the active detector region.

Effects induced by high and low intensity laser plasma on SiC Schottky detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Sciuto, Antonella; Torrisi, Lorenzo; Cannavò, Antonino; Mazzillo, Massimo; Calcagno, Lucia

2018-01-01

Silicon-Carbide detectors are extensively employed as diagnostic devices in laser-generated plasma, allowing the simultaneous detection of photons, electrons and ions, when used in time-of-flight configuration. The plasma generated by high intensity laser (1016 W/cm2) producing high energy ions was characterized by SiC detector with a continuous front-electrode, and a very thick active depth, while SiC detector with an Interdigit front-electrode was used to measure the low energy ions of plasma generated by low intensity laser (1010 W/cm2). Information about ion energy, number of charge states, plasma temperature can be accurately obtained. However, laser exposure induces the formation of surface and bulk defects whose concentration increases with increasing the time to plasma exposure. The surface defects consist of clusters with a main size of the order of some microns and they modify the diode barrier height and the efficiency of the detector as checked by alpha spectrometry. The bulk defects, due to the energy loss of detected ions, strongly affect the electrical properties of the device, inducing a relevant increase of the leakage (reverse) current and decrease the forward current related to a deactivation of the dopant in the active detector region.

Laser induced focusing for over-dense plasma beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, Peter; Boine-Frankenheim, Oliver; Mulser, Peter

2015-01-01

The capability of ion acceleration with high power, pulsed lasers has become an active field of research in the past years. In this context, the radiation pressure acceleration (RPA) mechanism has been the topic of numerous theoretical and experimental publications. Within that mechanism, a high power, pulsed laser beam hits a thin film target. In contrast to the target normal sheath acceleration, the entire film target is accelerated as a bulk by the radiation pressure of the laser. Simulations predict heavy ion beams with kinetic energy up to GeV, as well as solid body densities. However, there are several effects which limit the efficiency of the RPA: On the one hand, the Rayleigh-Taylor-instability limits the predicted density. On the other hand, conventional accelerator elements, such as magnetic focusing devices are too bulky to be installed right after the target. Therefore, we present a new beam transport method, suitable for RPA-like/over-dense plasma beams: laser induced focusing

On the improvement of signal repeatability in laser-induced air plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuai; Sheta, Sahar; Hou, Zong-Yu; Wang, Zhe

2018-04-01

The relatively low repeatability of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) severely hinders its wide commercialization. In the present work, we investigate the optimization of LIBS system for repeatability improvement for both signal generation (plasma evolution) and signal collection. Timeintegrated spectra and images were obtained under different laser energies and focal lengths to investigate the optimum configuration for stable plasmas and repeatable signals. Using our experimental setup, the optimum conditions were found to be a laser energy of 250 mJ and a focus length of 100 mm. A stable and homogeneous plasma with the largest hot core area in the optimum condition yielded the most stable LIBS signal. Time-resolved images showed that the rebounding processes through the air plasma evolution caused the relative standard deviation (RSD) to increase with laser energies of > 250 mJ. In addition, the emission collection was improved by using a concave spherical mirror. The line intensities doubled as their RSDs decreased by approximately 25%. When the signal generation and collection were optimized simultaneously, the pulse-to-pulse RSDs were reduced to approximately 3% for O(I), N(I), and H(I) lines, which are better than the RSDs reported for solid samples and showed great potential for LIBS quantitative analysis by gasifying the solid or liquid samples.

Low-Cost Real-Time Gas Monitoring Using a Laser Plasma Induced by a Third Harmonic Q-Switched Nd-YAG Laser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Syahrun Nur Abdulmadjid

2005-11-01

Full Text Available A gas plasma induced by a third harmonic Nd-YAG laser with relatively low pulsed energy (about 10 mJ has favorable characteristics for gas analysis due to its low background characteristics, nevertheless a high power fundamental Nd-YAG laser (100-200 mJ is widely used for laser gas breakdown spectroscopy. The air plasma can be used as a low-cost real-time gas monitoring system such that it can be used to detect the local absolute humidity, while a helium plasma can be used for gas analysis with a high level of sensitivity. A new technique using a helium plasma to improve laser ablation emission spectroscopy is proposed. Namely, the third harmonic Nd-YAG laser is focused at a point located some distance from the target in the 1-atm helium surrounding gas. By using this method, the ablated vapor from the target is excited through helium atoms in a metastable state in the helium plasma.

Numerical simulation for the influence of laser-induced plasmas addition on air mass capture of hypersonic inlet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wei; Dou, Zhiguo; Li, Qian

2012-03-01

The theory of laser-induced plasmas addition to hypersonic airflow off a vehicle to increase air mass capture and improve the performance of hypersonic inlets at Mach numbers below the design value is explored. For hypersonic vehicles, when flying at mach numbers lower than the design one, we can increase the mass capture ratio of inlet through laser-induced plasmas injection to the hypersonic flow upstream of cowl lip to form a virtual cowl. Based on the theory, the model of interaction between laser-induced plasmas and hypersonic flow was established. The influence on the effect of increasing mass capture ratio was studied at different positions of laser-induced plasmas region for the external compression hypersonic inlet at Mach 5 while the design value is 6, the power of plasmas was in the range of 1-8mJ. The main results are as follows: 1. the best location of the plasma addition region is near the intersection of the nose shock of the vehicle with the continuation of the cowl line, and slightly below that line. In that case, the shock generated by the heating is close to the shock that is a reflection of the vehicle nose shock off the imaginary solid surface-extension of the cowl. 2. Plasma addition does increase mass capture, and the effect becomes stronger as more energy is added, the peak value appeared when the power of plasma was about 4mJ, when the plasma energy continues to get stronger, the mass capture will decline slowly.

Laser-Induced Fluorescence diagnostic of barium ion plasmas in the Paul Trap Simulator Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Moses; Gilson, Erik P.; Davidson, Ronald C.; Efthimion, Philip C.; Majeski, Richard; Startsev, Edward A.

2005-01-01

The Paul Trap Simulator Experiment (PTSX) is a cylindrical Paul trap whose purpose is to simulate the nonlinear dynamics of intense charged particle beam propagation in alternating-gradient magnetic transport systems. To investigate the ion plasma microstate in PTSX, including the ion density profile and the ion velocity distribution function, a laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic system is being developed as a nondestructive diagnostic. Instead of cesium, which has been used in the initial phase of the PTSX experiment, barium has been selected as the preferred ion for the laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic. A feasibility study of the laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic using barium ions is presented with the characterization of a tunable dye laser. The installation of the barium ion source and the development of the laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic system are also discussed

Enhanced efficiency of plasma acceleration in the laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badziak, J; Rosiński, M; Jabłoński, S; Pisarczyk, T; Chodukowski, T; Parys, P; Rączka, P; Krousky, E; Ullschmied, J; Liska, R; Kucharik, M

2015-01-01

Among various methods for the acceleration of dense plasmas the mechanism called laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration (LICPA) is capable of achieving the highest energetic efficiency. In the LICPA scheme, a projectile placed in a cavity is accelerated along a guiding channel by the laser-induced thermal plasma pressure or by the radiation pressure of an intense laser radiation trapped in the cavity. This arrangement leads to a significant enhancement of the hydrodynamic or electromagnetic forces driving the projectile, relative to standard laser acceleration schemes. The aim of this paper is to review recent experimental and numerical works on LICPA with the emphasis on the acceleration of heavy plasma macroparticles and dense ion beams. The main experimental part concerns the research carried out at the kilojoule sub-nanosecond PALS laser facility in Prague. Our measurements performed at this facility, supported by advanced two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, have demonstrated that the LICPA accelerator working in the long-pulse hydrodynamic regime can be a highly efficient tool for the acceleration of heavy plasma macroparticles to hyper-velocities and the generation of ultra-high-pressure (>100 Mbar) shocks through the collision of the macroparticle with a solid target. The energetic efficiency of the macroparticle acceleration and the shock generation has been found to be significantly higher than that for other laser-based methods used so far. Using particle-in-cell simulations it is shown that the LICPA scheme is highly efficient also in the short-pulse high-intensity regime and, in particular, may be used for production of intense ion beams of multi-MeV to GeV ion energies with the energetic efficiency of tens of per cent, much higher than for conventional laser acceleration schemes. (paper)

Laser-aided plasma diagnostics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Donne, A. J. H.; Barth, C. J.

2008-01-01

This paper will focus on two types of laser-aided diagnostics: Thomson scattering and laser-induced fluorescence. Thomson scattering is a very powerful diagnostic, which is applied at nearly every magnetic confinement device. Depending on the experimental conditions different plasma parameters can

Optimization of laser-plasma injector via beam loading effects using ionization-induced injection

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, P.; Maynard, G.; Audet, T. L.; Cros, B.; Lehe, R.; Vay, J.-L.

2018-05-01

Simulations of ionization-induced injection in a laser driven plasma wakefield show that high-quality electron injectors in the 50-200 MeV range can be achieved in a gas cell with a tailored density profile. Using the PIC code Warp with parameters close to existing experimental conditions, we show that the concentration of N2 in a hydrogen plasma with a tailored density profile is an efficient parameter to tune electron beam properties through the control of the interplay between beam loading effects and varying accelerating field in the density profile. For a given laser plasma configuration, with moderate normalized laser amplitude, a0=1.6 and maximum electron plasma density, ne 0=4 ×1018 cm-3 , the optimum concentration results in a robust configuration to generate electrons at 150 MeV with a rms energy spread of 4% and a spectral charge density of 1.8 pC /MeV .

Laser Induced Fluorescence Diagnostic for the Plasma Couette Experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Noam; Skiff, Fred; Collins, Cami; Weisberg, Dave; Wallace, John; Clark, Mike; Garot, Kristine; Forest, Cary

2010-11-01

The Plasma Couette Experiment (PCX) at U. Wisconsin-Madison consists of a rotating high-beta plasma and is well-suited to the study of flow-driven, astrophysically-relevant plasma phenomena. PCX confinement relies on alternating rings of 1kG permanent magnets and the rotation is driven by electrode rings, interspersed between the magnets, which provide an azimuthal ExB. I will discuss the development of a laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic (LIF) to characterize the ion distribution function of argon plasmas in PCX. The LIF system--which will be scanned radially--will be used to calibrate internal Mach probes, as well as to measure the time-resolved velocity profile, ion temperature and density non-perturbatively. These diagnostics will be applied to study the magneto-rotational instability in a plasma, as well as the buoyancy instability thought to be involved in producing the solar magnetic field. This work is supported by NSF and DOE.

Influence of the laser pulse duration on laser-produced plasma properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drogoff, B Le; Margot, J; Vidal, F; Laville, S; Chaker, M; Sabsabi, M; Johnston, T W; Barthelemy, O

2004-01-01

In the framework of laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) applications, time-resolved characteristics of laser-produced aluminium plasmas in air at atmospheric pressure are investigated for laser pulse durations ranging from 100 fs to 270 ps. Measurements show that for delays after the laser pulse longer than ∼100 ns, the plasma temperature increases slightly with the laser pulse duration, while the electron density is independent of it. In addition, as the pulse duration increases, the plasma radiation emission lasts longer and the spectral lines arise later from the continuum emission. The time dependence of the continuum emission appears to be similar whatever the duration of the laser pulse is, while the temporal evolution of the line emission seems to be affected mainly by the plasma temperature. Finally, as far as spectrochemical applications (such as LIPS) of laser-produced plasmas are concerned, this study highlights the importance of the choice of appropriate temporal gating parameters for each laser pulse duration

Influence of sample temperature on the expansion dynamics and the optical emission of laser-induced plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eschlböck-Fuchs, S.; Haslinger, M.J.; Hinterreiter, A.; Kolmhofer, P.; Huber, N. [Christian Doppler Laboratory for Laser-Assisted Diagnostics, Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Rössler, R. [voestalpine Stahl GmbH, A-4031 Linz (Austria); Heitz, J. [Christian Doppler Laboratory for Laser-Assisted Diagnostics, Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Pedarnig, J.D., E-mail: johannes.pedarnig@jku.at [Christian Doppler Laboratory for Laser-Assisted Diagnostics, Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz (Austria)

2013-09-01

We investigate the influence of sample temperature on the dynamics and optical emission of laser induced plasma for various solid materials. Bulk aluminum alloy, silicon wafer, and metallurgical slag samples are heated to temperature T{sub S} ≤ 500 °C and ablated in air by Nd:YAG laser pulses (wavelength 1064 nm, pulse duration approx. 7 ns). The plasma dynamics is investigated by fast time-resolved photography. For laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) the optical emission of plasma is measured by Echelle spectrometers in combination with intensified CCD cameras. For all sample materials the temporal evolution of plume size and broadband plasma emission vary systematically with T{sub S}. The size and brightness of expanding plumes increase at higher T{sub S} while the mean intensity remains independent of temperature. The intensity of emission lines increases with temperature for all samples. Plasma temperature and electron number density do not vary with T{sub S}. We apply the calibration-free LIBS method to determine the concentration of major oxides in slag and find good agreement to reference data up to T{sub S} = 450 °C. The LIBS analysis of multi-component materials at high temperature is of interest for technical applications, e.g. in industrial production processes. - Highlights: • Size and emission of laser-induced plasma increase with sample temperature Ts. • Mean optical intensity of plasma is independent of Ts. • Plasma temperature and electron number density do not vary with Ts. • Major oxides in steel slag are quantified up to Ts = 450 °C. • Industrial steel slags are analyzed by calibration-free LIBS method.

Ground penetrating radar using a microwave radiated from laser-induced plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakajima, H; Tanaka, K A [Graduate School of Engineering and Institute of Laser Engineering, Suita, Osaka University (Japan); Yamaura, M; Shimada, Y; Fujita, M [Institute for Laser Technology, Suita, Osaka (Japan)], E-mail: nakajima-h@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp

2008-05-01

A plasma column radiates a microwave to surroundings when generated with laser irradiation. Using such a microwave, we are able to survey underground objects and architectures from a remote place. In this paper, the microwave radiated from a plasma column induced by an intense laser ({approx} 10{sup 9} W/cm{sup 2}) were measured. Additionally, a proof test of this method was performed by searching an underground aluminum disk (26 cm in diameter, 1 cm in depth, and 1 m apart from a receiving antenna). As the result, the characteristics of the radiated microwave were clarified, and strong echoes corresponding to the edges of an aluminum disk were found. Based on these results, the feasibility of a ground penetrating radar was verified.

Resonance-enhanced laser-induced plasma spectroscopy: ambient gas effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lui, S.L.; Cheung, N.H.

2003-01-01

When performing laser-induced plasma spectroscopy for elemental analysis, the sensitivity could be significantly enhanced if the plume was resonantly rekindled by a dye laser pulse. The extent of the enhancement was found to depend on the ambient gas. Air, nitrogen, helium, argon and xenon at pressures ranging from vacuum to 1 bar were investigated. In vacuum, the analyte signal was boosted because of reduced cooling, but it soon decayed as the plume freely expanded. By choosing the right ambient gas at the right pressure, the expanding plume could be confined as well as thermally insulated to maximize the analyte signal. For instance, an ambient of 13 mbar xenon yielded a signal-to-noise ratio of 110. That ratio was 53 when the pellet was ablated in air, and decreased further to 5 if the dye laser was tuned off resonance

Experimental investigation of ultraviolet laser induced plasma density and temperature evolution in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiyagarajan, Magesh; Scharer, John

2008-01-01

We present measurements and analysis of laser induced plasma neutral densities and temperatures in dry air by focusing 200 mJ, 10 MW high power, 193 nm ultraviolet ArF (argon fluoride) laser radiation to a 30 μm radius spot size. We examine these properties that result from multiphoton and collisional cascade processes for pressures ranging from 40 Torr to 5 atm. A laser shadowgraphy diagnostic technique is used to obtain the plasma electron temperature just after the shock front and this is compared with optical emission spectroscopic measurements of nitrogen rotational and vibrational temperatures. Two-color laser interferometry is employed to measure time resolved spatial electron and neutral density decay in initial local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE conditions. The radiating species and thermodynamic characteristics of the plasma are analyzed by means of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) supported by SPECAIR, a special OES program for air constituent plasmas. Core plasma rotational and vibrational temperatures are obtained from the emission spectra from the N 2 C-B(2+) transitions by matching the experimental spectrum results with the SPECAIR simulation results and the results are compared with the electron temperature just behind the shock wave. The plasma density decay measurements are compared with a simplified electron density decay model that illustrates the dominant three-and two-body recombination terms with good correlation

Experimental determination of the temperature range of AlO molecular emission in laser-induced aluminum plasma in air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, Xueshi; Motto-Ros, Vincent [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon Villeurbanne (France); Lei, Wenqi [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon Villeurbanne (France); State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Zheng, Lijuan [State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Yu, Jin, E-mail: jin.yu@univ-lyon1.fr [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon Villeurbanne (France); Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics and Astrophysics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2014-09-01

Measurements with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) usually take place in the atmospheric air. For quantitative analysis of metallic elements, oxidation may represent an important issue which can significantly modify the stoichiometry of the plasma. Molecule formation in plasma should be therefore studied and taken into account in the LIBS practice. In this work, we experimentally investigated the temporal evolution and transformation of the plasma induced on an aluminum target by a nanosecond infrared (1064 nm) laser in the atmospheric air, in terms of its temperatures over a large interval of time from hundreds of nanoseconds to tens of microseconds. Such evolution was then correlated to the temporal evolution of the emission intensity from AlO molecules in the ablation plume. In particular, for a given ablation laser pulse energy, the appearance of the molecular emission while the plume cools down allows determining a minimal delay, τ{sub min}, which corresponds to a maximal value of the temperature, T{sub max}, below which the molecular emission begins to be clearly observed and to grow as a function of the delay. Such delay or such temperature indicates the longest delay or the lowest temperature for laser-induced plasma to be suitable for a correct analysis of metallic elements without significant influence of the alternation of the stoichiometry by oxidation. In our experiment, the values of τ{sub min} and T{sub max} have been determined for a range of ablation laser pulse energies from 5 mJ to 50 mJ. These values lie respectively in the range of 3 to 15 μs for τ{sub min}, and 4500 K to 6600 K in terms of the molecule temperature for T{sub max}. Beyond the practical interest for LIBS, our results provide also insights to the kinetics of the AlO molecule formation in laser-induced plasma. - Highlights: • Determination of the temperatures in laser-induced plasma up to tens of microseconds • Determination of the molecule temperature by fitting

Laser-plasma interaction physics in the context of fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labaune, C.; Fuchs, J.; Depierreux, S.; Tikhonchuk, V.T.; Baldis, H.A.; Pesme, D.; Myatt, J.; Huller, S.; Laval, G.; Tikhonchuk, V.T.

2000-01-01

Of vital importance for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) are the understanding and control of the nonlinear processes which can occur during the propagation of the laser pulses through the underdense plasma surrounding the fusion capsule. The control of parametric instabilities has been studied experimentally, using LULI six-beam laser facility, and also theoretically and numerically. New results based on the direct observation of plasma waves with Thomson scattering of a short wavelength probe beam have revealed the occurrence of the Langmuir decay instability. This secondary instability may play an important role in the saturation of stimulated Raman scattering. Another mechanism for inducing the growth of the scattering instabilities is the so-called 'plasma-induced incoherence'. Namely, recent theoretical studies have shown that the propagation of laser beams through the underdense plasma can increase their spatial and temporal incoherence. This plasma-induced beam smoothing can reduce the levels of parametric instabilities. One signature of this process is a large increase of the spectral width of the laser light after propagation through the plasma. Comparison of the experimental results with numerical propagation through the plasma. Comparison of the experimental results with numerical simulations shows an excellent agreement between the observed and calculated time-resolved spectra of the transmitted laser light at various laser intensities. (authors)

Position- and time-resolved Stark broadening diagnostics of a non-thermal laser-induced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hao; Truscott, Benjamin S; Ashfold, Michael N R

2016-01-01

We present an analysis of the Stark-broadened line shapes of silicon ions in a laser-induced plasma using a model constructed, without assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), using a Druyvesteyn electron energy distribution function (EEDF). The method is applied to temporally and spatially resolved measurements of Si 2+ and Si 3+ emissions from a transient plasma expanding into vacuum, produced by 1064 nm, nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of a Si (1 0 0) target. The best-fitting simulated line shapes and the corresponding electron number densities and temperatures (or equivalently, Druyvesteyn average energies) are compared with those returned assuming LTE (i.e. for a Maxwellian EEDF). Non-thermal behavior is found to dominate at all but the very earliest stages of expansion close to the target surface, consistent with McWhirter’s criterion for the establishment of LTE. The Druyvesteyn EEDF always yields an equivalent or better model of the experimental measurements, and the observed increasingly strong departure from the Maxwellian case with time and distance from the ablation event highlights the essential invalidity of the LTE assumption for moderate-power, nanosecond laser-induced plasma expanding in vacuo. (paper)

Kr II laser-induced fluorescence for measuring plasma acceleration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hargus, W A; Azarnia, G M; Nakles, M R

2012-10-01

We present the application of laser-induced fluorescence of singly ionized krypton as a diagnostic technique for quantifying the electrostatic acceleration within the discharge of a laboratory cross-field plasma accelerator also known as a Hall effect thruster, which has heritage as spacecraft propulsion. The 728.98 nm Kr II transition from the metastable 5d(4)D(7/2) to the 5p(4)P(5/2)(∘) state was used for the measurement of laser-induced fluorescence within the plasma discharge. From these measurements, it is possible to measure velocity as krypton ions are accelerated from near rest to approximately 21 km/s (190 eV). Ion temperature and the ion velocity distributions may also be extracted from the fluorescence data since available hyperfine splitting data allow for the Kr II 5d(4)D(7/2)-5p(4)P(5/2)(∘) transition lineshape to be modeled. From the analysis, the fluorescence lineshape appears to be a reasonable estimate for the relatively broad ion velocity distributions. However, due to an apparent overlap of the ion creation and acceleration regions within the discharge, the distributed velocity distributions increase ion temperature determination uncertainty significantly. Using the most probable ion velocity as a representative, or characteristic, measure of the ion acceleration, overall propellant energy deposition, and effective electric fields may be calculated. With this diagnostic technique, it is possible to nonintrusively characterize the ion acceleration both within the discharge and in the plume.

Diode-Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy of an Optically Thick Plasma in Combination with Laser Absorption Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Nomura

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Distortion of laser-induced fluorescence profiles attributable to optical absorption and saturation broadening was corrected in combination with laser absorption spectroscopy in argon plasma flow. At high probe-laser intensity, saturated absorption profiles were measured to correct probe-laser absorption. At low laser intensity, nonsaturated absorption profiles were measured to correct fluorescence reabsorption. Saturation broadening at the measurement point was corrected using a ratio of saturated to non-saturated broadening. Observed LIF broadening and corresponding translational temperature without correction were, respectively, 2.20±0.05 GHz and 2510±100 K and corrected broadening and temperature were, respectively, 1.96±0.07 GHz and 1990±150 K. Although this correction is applicable only at the center of symmetry, the deduced temperature agreed well with that obtained by LAS with Abel inversion.

Production of organic compounds in plasmas - A comparison among electric sparks, laser-induced plasmas, and UV light

Science.gov (United States)

Scattergood, Thomas W.; Mckay, Christopher P.; Borucki, William J.; Giver, Lawrence P.; Van Ghyseghem, Hilde

1989-01-01

In order to ascertain the features of organic compound-production in planetary atmospheres under the effects of plasmas and shocks, various mixtures of N2, CH4, and H2 modeling the atmosphere of Titan were subjected to discrete sparks, laser-induced plasmas, and UV radiation. The experimental results obtained suggest that UV photolysis from the plasma is an important organic compound synthesis process, as confirmed by the photolysis of gas samples that were exposed to the light but not to the shock waves emitted by the sparks. The thermodynamic equilibrium theory is therefore incomplete in the absence of photolysis.

Solenoid for Laser Induced Plasma Experiments at Janus

Science.gov (United States)

Klein, Sallee; Leferve, Heath; Kemp, Gregory; Mariscal, Derek; Rasmus, Alex; Williams, Jackson; Gillespie, Robb; Manuel, Mario; Kuranz, Carolyn; Keiter, Paul; Drake, R.

2017-10-01

Creating invariant magnetic fields for experiments involving laser induced plasmas is particularly challenging due to the high voltages at which the solenoid must be pulsed. Creating a solenoid resilient enough to survive through large numbers of voltage discharges, enabling it to endure a campaign lasting several weeks, is exceptionally difficult. Here we present a solenoid that is robust through 40 μs pulses at a 13 kV potential. This solenoid is a vast improvement over our previously fielded designs in peak magnetic field capabilities and robustness. Designed to be operated at small-scale laser facilities, the solenoid housing allows for versatility of experimental set-ups among diagnostic and target positions. Within the perpendicular field axis at the center there is 300 degrees of clearance which can be easily modified to meet the needs of a specific experiment, as well as an f/3 cone for transmitted or backscattered light. After initial design efforts, these solenoids are relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Fiber-optic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of zirconium metal in air: Special features of the plasma produced by a long-pulse laser

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Ayumu; Ohba, Hironori; Toshimitsu, Masaaki; Akaoka, Katsuaki; Ruas, Alexandre; Sakka, Tetsuo; Wakaida, Ikuo

2018-04-01

The decommissioning of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is an essential issue in nuclear R&D. Fiber-optic laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (Fiber-optic LIBS) could be used for in-situ elemental analysis of the inside of the damaged reactors. To improve the performances under difficult conditions, using a long-pulse laser can be an efficient alternative. In this work, the emission spectra of zirconium metal in air obtained for a normal-pulse laser (6 ns) and a long-pulse laser (100 ns) (wavelength: 1064 nm, pulse energy: 12.5 mJ, spot diameter: 0.35 mm) are compared to investigate the fundamental aspects of fiber-optic LIBS with the long-pulse laser. The spectral features are considerably different: when the long-pulse laser is used, the atomic and molecular emission is remarkably enhanced. The enhancement of the atomic emission at the near infrared (NIR) region would lead to the observation of emission lines with minimum overlapping. To understand the differences in the spectra induced respectively from the normal-pulse laser and the long-pulse laser, photodiode signals, time-resolved spectra, plasma parameters, emission from the ambient air, and emission regions are investigated, showing the particular characteristics of the plasma produced by the long-pulse laser.

Induced Compton scattering of a laser in an inhomogeneous plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.S.; Tripathi, V. K.

2003-01-01

A laser propagating through a high temperature low density plasma undergoes induced Compton backscattering involving the coupling of the laser pump and the scattered electromagnetic wave via the resonant electrons or the resistive quasimode. The region of nonlinear interaction is localized due to plasma inhomogeneity. At short density scale lengths when the interaction region is strongly localized and resonant electrons quickly move out of it, the electron distribution function remains Maxwellian and Compton reflectivity is significant at laser intensity >10 16 W/cm 2 . In gentle density gradients the resonant electrons are trapped in the ponderomotive and self-consistent potential well of the quasimode as they enter the interaction region. The ones with velocity v z p (v p being the phase velocity of the ponderomotive wave propagating along z direction) are accelerated to v p while those with v z >v p are retarded to v p . Since the number of the former is more than that of the latter there is a net momentum transfer to electrons. Momentum and action conservation lead to a reflectivity, R, that initially goes as the square of pump intensity, then rises gradually at higher intensity. R decreases rapidly with v th /v p , where v th is the thermal velocity of electrons

Polarization mechanism in a ns laser-induced plasma spectroscopy of Al alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Aghababaei Nejad, Mahboobeh; Soltanolkotabi, Mahmood; Eslami Majd, Abdollah

2018-01-01

Polarization emission from aluminum alloy by ns laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is carefully investigated in air using a non-gated CCD camera at integration time of 100 ms. First, the analysis reveals that the small polarization degree is the same for both continuum and discrete line emission spectra which also increases slowly with wavelength growth; second, laser fluence in the range of 347.81-550.10 J/cm2 has no significant changes in plasma polarization; and third, larger polarization in comparison with polarization introduced by preferential reflection of emission from the target surface (Fresnel reflectivity) is observed. The residual fluctuations of the anisotropic recombining plasma and the dynamic polarization of an ion's core are suggested as the possible main sources for observed polarized radiation in ns-LIBS.

Characteristics of plasma plume in fiber laser welding of aluminum alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, Ming; Chen, Cong; Hu, Ming; Guo, Lianbo; Wang, Zemin, E-mail: zmwang@mail.hust.edu.cn; Zeng, Xiaoyan

2015-01-30

Highlights: • Spectroscopic properties of fiber laser induced Al plasma plume are measured. • The plume is usually a metal vapor dominated weakly ionized plasma. • The plume is a strongly ionized plasma after laser power is higher than 5 kW. • Plasma shielding effect must be considered after laser power reaches 5 kW. • Plasma shielding effect is dominated by inverse bremsstrahlung absorption. - Abstract: To understand the laser–matter interaction in fiber laser welding of aluminum alloys, the effects of laser power on the characteristics of fiber laser induced plasma plume were studied by emission spectroscopic analysis firstly. The plasma characteristic parameters including electron temperature, electron density, ionization degree, and inverse bremsstrahlung linear absorption coefficient were computed according to the spectral data. It was found that the laser power of 5 kW is a turning point. After the laser power reaches 5 kW, the plume changes from a metal vapor dominated weakly ionized plasma to a strongly ionized plasma. The corresponding phenomena are the dramatic increase of the value of characteristic parameters and the appearance of strong plasma shielding effect. The calculation of effective laser power density demonstrated that the plasma shielding effect is dominated by inverse bremsstrahlung absorption. The finding suggested the plasma shielding effect must be considered in fiber laser welding of aluminum alloys, rather than is ignored as claimed in previous view.

EUV laser produced and induced plasmas for nanolithography

Science.gov (United States)

Sizyuk, Tatyana; Hassanein, Ahmed

2017-10-01

EUV produced plasma sources are being extensively studied for the development of new technology for computer chips production. Challenging tasks include optimization of EUV source efficiency, producing powerful source in 2 percentage bandwidth around 13.5 nm for high volume manufacture (HVM), and increasing the lifetime of collecting optics. Mass-limited targets, such as small droplet, allow to reduce contamination of chamber environment and mirror surface damage. However, reducing droplet size limits EUV power output. Our analysis showed the requirement for the target parameters and chamber conditions to achieve 500 W EUV output for HVM. The HEIGHTS package was used for the simulations of laser produced plasma evolution starting from laser interaction with solid target, development and expansion of vapor/plasma plume with accurate optical data calculation, especially in narrow EUV region. Detailed 3D modeling of mix environment including evolution and interplay of plasma produced by lasers from Sn target and plasma produced by in-band and out-of-band EUV radiation in ambient gas, used for the collecting optics protection and cleaning, allowed predicting conditions in entire LPP system. Effect of these conditions on EUV photon absorption and collection was analyzed. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation, PIRE project.

Direct measurements of sample heating by a laser-induced air plasma in pre-ablation spark dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

Science.gov (United States)

Register, Janna; Scaffidi, Jonathan; Angel, S Michael

2012-08-01

Direct measurements of temperature changes were made using small thermocouples (TC), placed near a laser-induced air plasma. Temperature changes up to ~500 °C were observed. From the measured temperature changes, estimates were made of the amount of heat absorbed per unit area. This allowed calculations to be made of the surface temperature, as a function of time, of a sample heated by the air plasma that is generated during orthogonal pre-ablation spark dual-pulse (DP) LIBS measurements. In separate experiments, single-pulse (SP) LIBS emission and sample ablation rate measurements were performed on nickel at sample temperatures ranging from room temperature to the maximum surface temperature that was calculated using the TC measurement results (500 °C). A small, but real sample temperature-dependent increase in both SP LIBS emission and the rate of sample ablation was found for nickel samples heated up to 500 °C. Comparison of DP LIBS emission enhancement values for bulk nickel samples at room temperature versus the enhanced SP LIBS emission and sample ablation rates observed as a function of increasing sample temperature suggests that sample heating by the laser-induced air plasma plays only a minor role in DP LIBS emission enhancement.

Laser Induced Fluorescence of Helium Ions in a Helicon Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Compton, C. S.; Biloui, C.; Hardin, R. A.; Keesee, A. M.; Scime, E. E.; Boivin, R.

2003-10-01

The lack of a suitable Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) scheme for helium ions at visible wavelengths has prevented LIF from being employed in helium plasmas for measurements of ion temperature and bulk ion flow speeds. In this work, we will discuss our attempts to perform LIF of helium ions in a helicon source plasma using an infrared, tunable diode laser operating at 1012.36 nm. The infrared transition corresponds to excitation from the n = 4 level (4f ^2F) to the n = 5 (5g ^2G) level of singly ionized helium and therefore requires substantial electron temperatures (> 10 eV) to maintain an adequate ion population in the n = 4 state. Calculations using a steady state coronal model predict that the n = 4 state population will be 25% larger than the n = 5 population for our experimental conditions. The fluorescence decay from the n = 5 (5f ^2F) level of singly ionized helium level to the n = 3 (3d ^2D) level at 320.31 nm is monitored as the diode laser is swept through 10 GHz around the 1012.36 nm line. Note that the fluorescence emission requires a collisionally coupled transition between two different n = 5 quantum states. We will also present measurements of the emission intensities of both the 1012.36 nm and the 320.31 nm lines as a function of source neutral pressure, rf power, and plasma density. This work supported by the U.S. DoE EPSCoR Lab Partnership Program.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), part I: review of basic diagnostics and plasma-particle interactions: still-challenging issues within the analytical plasma community.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, David W; Omenetto, Nicoló

2010-12-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has become a very popular analytical method in the last decade in view of some of its unique features such as applicability to any type of sample, practically no sample preparation, remote sensing capability, and speed of analysis. The technique has a remarkably wide applicability in many fields, and the number of applications is still growing. From an analytical point of view, the quantitative aspects of LIBS may be considered its Achilles' heel, first due to the complex nature of the laser-sample interaction processes, which depend upon both the laser characteristics and the sample material properties, and second due to the plasma-particle interaction processes, which are space and time dependent. Together, these may cause undesirable matrix effects. Ways of alleviating these problems rely upon the description of the plasma excitation-ionization processes through the use of classical equilibrium relations and therefore on the assumption that the laser-induced plasma is in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). Even in this case, the transient nature of the plasma and its spatial inhomogeneity need to be considered and overcome in order to justify the theoretical assumptions made. This first article focuses on the basic diagnostics aspects and presents a review of the past and recent LIBS literature pertinent to this topic. Previous research on non-laser-based plasma literature, and the resulting knowledge, is also emphasized. The aim is, on one hand, to make the readers aware of such knowledge and on the other hand to trigger the interest of the LIBS community, as well as the larger analytical plasma community, in attempting some diagnostic approaches that have not yet been fully exploited in LIBS.

Laser propagation and compton scattering in parabolic plasma channel

CERN Document Server

Dongguo, L; Yokoya, K; Hirose, T

2003-01-01

A Gaussian laser beam propagating in a parabolic plasma channel is discussed in this paper. For a weak laser, plasma density perturbation induced by interaction between the laser field and plasma is very small, the refractive index can be assumed to be constant with respect to time variable. For a parabolic plasma channel, through the static propagation equation, we obtain an analytical solution of the profile function of the Gaussian laser beam for an unmatched case and give the general condition for the matched case. As the laser intensity increases, an effect due to strong laser fields is included. We discuss how to design and select the distribution of plasma density for a certain experiment in which a plasma channel is utilized to guide a laser beam. The number of scattered photons (X-rays) generated through Compton backscattering in a plasma channel is discussed. (author)

Time-space distribution of laser-induced plasma parameters and its influence on emission spectra of the laser plumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ershov-Pavlov, E.A.; Katsalap, K.Yu.; Stepanov, K.L.; Stankevich, Yu.A.

2008-01-01

A physical model is developed accounting for dynamics and radiation of plasma plumes induced by nanosecond laser pulses on surface of solid samples. The model has been applied to simulate emission spectra of the laser erosion plasma at the elemental analysis of metals using single- and double-pulse excitation modes. Dynamics of the sample heating and expansion of the erosion products are accounted for by the thermal conductivity and gas dynamic equations, respectively, supposing axial symmetry. Using the resulting time-space distributions of the plasma parameters, emission spectra of the laser plumes are evaluated by solving the radiation transfer equation. Particle concentration in consecutive ionization stages is described by the Saha equation in the Debye approximation. The population of excited levels is determined according to Boltzmann distribution. Local characteristics determining spectral emission and absorption coefficients are obtained point-by-point along an observation line. Voigt spectral line profiles are considered with main broadening mechanisms taken into account. The plasma dynamics and plume emission spectra have been studied experimentally and by the model. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm wavelength has been used to irradiate Al sample with the pulses of 15 ns and 50 mJ duration and energy, respectively. It has resulted in maximum power density of 0.8 MW/cm 2 on the sample surface. The laser plume emission spectra have been recorded at a side-on observation. Problems of the spectra contrast and of the elemental analysis efficiency are considered relying on a comparative study of the measurement and simulation results at the both excitation modes

The critical distance in laser-induced plasmas: an operative definition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Side, D. Delle; Giuffreda, E.; Nassisi, V.

2016-01-01

We propose a method to estimate a precise value for the critical distance L cr after which three-body recombination stops to produce charge losses in an expanding laser-induced plasma. We show in particular that the total charge collected has a ''reversed sigmoid'' shape as a function of the target-to-detector distance. Fitting the total charge data with a logistic related function, we could consider as L cr the intercept of the tangent to this curve in its inflection point. Furthermore, this value scales well with theoretical predictions. From the application point of view, this could be of great practical interest, since it provide a reliable way to precisely determine the geometry of the extraction system in Laser Ion Sources.

The critical distance in laser-induced plasmas: an operative definition

Science.gov (United States)

Delle Side, D.; Giuffreda, E.; Nassisi, V.

2016-05-01

We propose a method to estimate a precise value for the critical distance Lcr after which three-body recombination stops to produce charge losses in an expanding laser-induced plasma. We show in particular that the total charge collected has a ``reversed sigmoid'' shape as a function of the target-to-detector distance. Fitting the total charge data with a logistic related function, we could consider as Lcr the intercept of the tangent to this curve in its inflection point. Furthermore, this value scales well with theoretical predictions. From the application point of view, this could be of great practical interest, since it provide a reliable way to precisely determine the geometry of the extraction system in Laser Ion Sources.

Transmutation prospect of long-lived nuclear waste induced by high-charge electron beam from laser plasma accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, X. L.; Xu, Z. Y.; Luo, W.; Lu, H. Y.; Zhu, Z. C.; Yan, X. Q.

2017-09-01

Photo-transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste induced by a high-charge relativistic electron beam (e-beam) from a laser plasma accelerator is demonstrated. A collimated relativistic e-beam with a high charge of approximately 100 nC is produced from high-intensity laser interaction with near-critical-density (NCD) plasma. Such e-beam impinges on a high-Z convertor and then radiates energetic bremsstrahlung photons with flux approaching 1011 per laser shot. Taking a long-lived radionuclide 126Sn as an example, the resulting transmutation reaction yield is the order of 109 per laser shot, which is two orders of magnitude higher than obtained from previous studies. It is found that at lower densities, a tightly focused laser irradiating relatively longer NCD plasmas can effectively enhance the transmutation efficiency. Furthermore, the photo-transmutation is generalized by considering mixed-nuclide waste samples, which suggests that the laser-accelerated high-charge e-beam could be an efficient tool to transmute long-lived nuclear waste.

Laser light scattering in a laser-induced argon plasma: Investigations of the shock wave

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pokrzywka, B. [Obserwatorium Astronomiczne na Suhorze, Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny, ulica Podchorazych 2, 30-084 Krakow (Poland); Mendys, A., E-mail: agata.mendys@uj.edu.pl [Instytut Fizyki im. M. Smoluchowskiego, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, ulica Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Dzierzega, K.; Grabiec, M. [Instytut Fizyki im. M. Smoluchowskiego, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, ulica Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Pellerin, S. [GREMI, site de Bourges, Universite d' Orleans, CNRS, rue Gaston Berger BP 4043, 18028 Bourges (France)

2012-08-15

Shock wave produced by a laser induced spark in argon at atmospheric pressure was examined using Rayleigh and Thomson scattering. The spark was generated by focusing a laser pulse from the second harmonic ({lambda} = 532 nm) of a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser using an 80 mm focal length lens, with a fluence of 2 kJ{center_dot}cm{sup -2}. Images of the spark emission were recorded for times between 30 ns and 100 {mu}s after the laser pulse in order to characterize its spatial evolution. The position of the shock wave at several instants of its evolution and for several plasma regions was determined from the Rayleigh-scattered light of another nanosecond Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 40 J{center_dot}cm{sup -2} fluence). Simultaneously, Thomson scattering technique was applied to determine the electron density and temperature in the hot plasma core. Attempts were made to describe the temporal evolution of the shock wave within a self-similar model, both by the simple Sedov-Taylor formula as well as its extension deduced by de Izarra. The temporal radial evolution of the shock position is similar to that obtained within theory taking into account the counter pressure of the ambient gas. Density profiles just behind the shock front are in qualitative agreement with those obtained by numerically solving the Euler equations for instantaneous explosion at a point with counter pressure. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We investigated shock wave evolution by Rayleigh scattering method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 2D map of shockwave position for several times after plasma generation is presented. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Shock wave evolution is not satisfactorily described within self-similar models. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Evolution of shock position similar to theory taking into account counter pressure. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Density profile behind the shock similar to numerical solution of Euler equations.

Research progress of laser welding process dynamic monitoring technology based on plasma characteristics signal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teng WANG

2017-02-01

Full Text Available During the high-power laser welding process, plasmas are induced by the evaporation of metal under laser radiation, which can affect the coupling of laser energy and the workpiece, and ultimately impact on the reliability of laser welding quality and process directly. The research of laser-induced plasma is a focus in high-power deep penetration welding field, which provides a promising research area for realizing the automation of welding process quality inspection. In recent years, the research of laser welding process dynamic monitoring technology based on plasma characteristics is mainly in two aspects, namely the research of plasma signal detection and the research of laser welding process modeling. The laser-induced plasma in the laser welding is introduced, and the related research of laser welding process dynamic monitoring technology based on plasma characteristics at home and abroad is analyzed. The current problems in the field are summarized, and the future development trend is put forward.

Quantitative measurements in laser induced plasmas using optical probing. Progress report, October 1, 1977--April 30, 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sweeney, D.W.

1978-06-01

Optical probing of laser induced plasmas can be used to quantitatively reconstruct electron number densities and magnetic fields. Numerical techniques for extracting quantitative information from the experimental data are described and four Abel inversion codes are provided. A computer simulation of optical probing is used to determine the quantitative information that can be reasonably extracted from real experimental systems. Examples of reconstructed electron number densities from interferograms of laser plasmas show steepened electron distributions

The use of laser-induced shock wave plasma spectroscopy (LISPS) for examining physical characteristics of pharmaceutical products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur, E-mail: syahrun-madjid@yahoo.com; Lahna, Kurnia, E-mail: kurnialahna@gmail.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, Aceh (Indonesia); Desiyana, Lydia Septa, E-mail: lydia-septa@yahoo.com [Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, Aceh (Indonesia)

2016-03-11

An experimental study has been performed to examine the physical characteristics of pharmaceutical products, such as tablet, by employing an emission plasma induced by Nd-YAG laser at a low pressure of Helium gas. The hardness of tablet is one of the parameters that examined during the production process for standard quality of pharmaceutical products. In the Laser-Induced Shock Wave Plasma Spectroscopy (LISPS), the shock wave has a significant role in inducing atomic excitation. It was known that, the speed of the shock wavefront depends on the hardness of the sample, and it correlates with the ionization rate of the ablated atoms. The hardness of the tablet is examined using the intensity ratio between the ion of Mg (II) 275.2 nm and the neutral of Mg (I) 285.2 nm emission lines detected from the laser-induced plasma. It was observed that the ratio changes with respect to the change in the tablet hardness, namely the ratio is higher for the hard tablet. Besides the ratio measurements, we also measured the depth profile of a tablet by focusing 60 shots of irradiation of laser light at a fixed position on the surface of the tablet. It was found that the depth profile varies differently with the hardness of the tablet. These experiment results show that the technique of LISPS can be applied to examine the quality of pharmaceutical products.

The use of laser-induced shock wave plasma spectroscopy (LISPS) for examining physical characteristics of pharmaceutical products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur; Lahna, Kurnia; Desiyana, Lydia Septa

2016-01-01

An experimental study has been performed to examine the physical characteristics of pharmaceutical products, such as tablet, by employing an emission plasma induced by Nd-YAG laser at a low pressure of Helium gas. The hardness of tablet is one of the parameters that examined during the production process for standard quality of pharmaceutical products. In the Laser-Induced Shock Wave Plasma Spectroscopy (LISPS), the shock wave has a significant role in inducing atomic excitation. It was known that, the speed of the shock wavefront depends on the hardness of the sample, and it correlates with the ionization rate of the ablated atoms. The hardness of the tablet is examined using the intensity ratio between the ion of Mg (II) 275.2 nm and the neutral of Mg (I) 285.2 nm emission lines detected from the laser-induced plasma. It was observed that the ratio changes with respect to the change in the tablet hardness, namely the ratio is higher for the hard tablet. Besides the ratio measurements, we also measured the depth profile of a tablet by focusing 60 shots of irradiation of laser light at a fixed position on the surface of the tablet. It was found that the depth profile varies differently with the hardness of the tablet. These experiment results show that the technique of LISPS can be applied to examine the quality of pharmaceutical products.

Interaction between laser-produced plasma and guiding magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Jun; Takahashi, Kazumasa; Ikeda, Shunsuke; Nakajima, Mitsuo; Horioka, Kazuhiko

2013-01-01

Transportation properties of laser-produced plasma through a guiding magnetic field were examined. A drifting dense plasma produced by a KrF laser was injected into an axisymmetric magnetic field induced by permanent ring magnets. The plasma ion flux in the guiding magnetic field was measured by a Faraday cup at various distances from the laser target. Numerical analyses based on a collective focusing model were performed to simulate plasma particle trajectories and then compared with the experimental results. (author)

Development of a laser-induced plasma probe to measure gas phase plasma signals at high pressures and temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gounder, J.D.; Kutne, P.; Meier, W.

2012-01-01

The ability of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for on line simultaneous measurement of elemental concentrations has led to its application in a wide number of processes. The simplicity of the technique allows its application to harsh environments such as present in boilers, furnaces and gasifiers. This paper presents the design of a probe using a custom optic which transforms a round beam into a ring (Donut) beam, which is used for forming a plasma in an atmosphere of nitrogen at high pressure (20 bar) and temperature (200 °C). The LIBS experiments were performed using a high pressure cell to characterize and test the effectiveness of the donut beam transmitted through the LIBS probe and collect plasma signal in back scatter mode. The first tests used the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser, pulse width 7 ns, to form a plasma in nitrogen gas at five different pressures (1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 bar) and three different gas temperatures (25, 100 and 200 °C). The uniqueness of this probe is the custom made optic used for reshaping the round laser beam into a ring (Donut) shaped laser beam, which is fed into the probe and focused to form a plasma at the measurement point. The plasma signal is collected and collimated using the laser focusing lens and is reflected from the laser beam axis onto an achromatic lens by a high reflection mirror mounted in the center section of the donut laser beam. The effect of gas pressure and temperature on N(I) lines in the high pressure cell experiment shows that the line intensity decreases with pressure and increases with temperature. Mean plasma temperature was calculated using the ratios of N(I) line intensities ranging from 7400 K to 8900 K at 1 bar and 2400 K to 3200 K at 20 bar for the three different gas temperatures. The results show that as a proof of principle the donut beam optics in combination with the LIBS probe can be used for performing extensive LIBS measurements in well controlled laboratory

Development of a laser-induced plasma probe to measure gas phase plasma signals at high pressures and temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gounder, J.D., E-mail: James.Gounder@dlr.de; Kutne, P.; Meier, W.

2012-08-15

The ability of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for on line simultaneous measurement of elemental concentrations has led to its application in a wide number of processes. The simplicity of the technique allows its application to harsh environments such as present in boilers, furnaces and gasifiers. This paper presents the design of a probe using a custom optic which transforms a round beam into a ring (Donut) beam, which is used for forming a plasma in an atmosphere of nitrogen at high pressure (20 bar) and temperature (200 Degree-Sign C). The LIBS experiments were performed using a high pressure cell to characterize and test the effectiveness of the donut beam transmitted through the LIBS probe and collect plasma signal in back scatter mode. The first tests used the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser, pulse width 7 ns, to form a plasma in nitrogen gas at five different pressures (1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 bar) and three different gas temperatures (25, 100 and 200 Degree-Sign C). The uniqueness of this probe is the custom made optic used for reshaping the round laser beam into a ring (Donut) shaped laser beam, which is fed into the probe and focused to form a plasma at the measurement point. The plasma signal is collected and collimated using the laser focusing lens and is reflected from the laser beam axis onto an achromatic lens by a high reflection mirror mounted in the center section of the donut laser beam. The effect of gas pressure and temperature on N(I) lines in the high pressure cell experiment shows that the line intensity decreases with pressure and increases with temperature. Mean plasma temperature was calculated using the ratios of N(I) line intensities ranging from 7400 K to 8900 K at 1 bar and 2400 K to 3200 K at 20 bar for the three different gas temperatures. The results show that as a proof of principle the donut beam optics in combination with the LIBS probe can be used for performing extensive LIBS measurements in well controlled

Quantitative measurements in laser-induced plasmas using optical probing. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sweeney, D.W.

1981-01-01

Optical probing of laser induced plasmas can be used to quantitatively reconstruct electron number densities and magnetic fields. Numerical techniques for extracting quantitative information from the experimental data are described. A computer simulation of optical probing is used to determine the quantitative information that can be reasonably extracted from real experimental interferometric systems to reconstruct electron number density distributions. An example of a reconstructed interferogram shows a steepened electron distribution due to radiation pressure effects

Modeling of laser induced air plasma and shock wave dynamics using 2D-hydrodynamic simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Paturi, Prem Kiran; S, Sai Shiva; Chelikani, Leela; Ikkurthi, Venkata Ramana; C. D., Sijoy; Chaturvedi, Shashank; Acrhem, University Of Hyderabad Team; Computational Analysis Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Visakhapatnam Team

2017-06-01

The laser induced air plasma dynamics and the SW evolution modeled using the two dimensional hydrodynamic code by considering two different EOS: ideal gas EOS with charge state effects taken into consideration and Chemical Equilibrium applications (CEA) EOS considering the chemical kinetics of different species will be presented. The inverse bremsstrahlung absorption process due to electron-ion and electron-neutrals is considered for the laser-air interaction process for both the models. The numerical results obtained with the two models were compared with that of the experimental observations over the time scales of 200 - 4000 ns at an input laser intensity of 2.3 ×1010 W/cm2. The comparison shows that the plasma and shock dynamics differ significantly for two EOS considered. With the ideas gas EOS the asymmetric expansion and the subsequent plasma dynamics have been well reproduced as observed in the experiments, whereas with the CEA model these processes were not reproduced due to the laser energy absorption occurring mostly at the focal volume. ACRHEM team thank DRDO, India for funding.

Versatile software for semiautomatic analysis and processing of laser-induced plasma spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mateo, M.P.; Nicolas, G.; Pinon, V.; Alvarez, J.C.; Ramil, A.; Yanez, A.

2005-01-01

The present article describes the main characteristics and operations of SALIPS (software for the analysis of laser-induced plasma spectra), a computer program designed for use in Spectroscopy. During the last years laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) has grown in popularity and different applications have been developed in several fields. However, until now there is no software reported to perform the recognition of the elemental composition of a generic sample from its LIP spectrum, which must be achieved by hand in a tedious comparative process of experimental peaks with emission lines from databases. For this reason, a computer program that includes several tools to provide a semi-automatic identification of the peaks of a LIP spectrum has been developed. The program, written in Microsoft registered Visual Basic registered code, has a user-friendly graphical interface and is a flexible tool that enables to handle, edit, copy and print a quick presentation of the data including automatically the identification results in the graph. SALIPS also provides some physical properties of the elements and includes algorithms for performing the simulation of spectra. The potential of the program is illustrated with some examples

Laser-plasma booster for ion post acceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoh D.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available A remarkable ion energy increase is demonstrated for post acceleration by a laser-plasma booster. An intense short-pulse laser generates a strong current by high-energy electrons accelerated, when this intense short-pulse laser illuminates a plasma target. The strong electric current creates a strong magnetic field along the high-energy electron current in plasma. During the increase phase in the magnetic field, a longitudinal inductive electric field is induced for the forward ion acceleration by the Faraday law. Our 2.5-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate a remarkable increase in ion energy by several tens of MeV.

Recombination emissions and spectral blueshift of pump radiation from ultrafast laser induced plasma in a planar water microjet

Science.gov (United States)

Anija, M.; Philip, Reji

2009-09-01

We report spectroscopic investigations of an ultrafast laser induced plasma generated in a planar water microjet. Plasma recombination emissions along with the spectral blueshift and broadening of the pump laser pulse contribute to the total emission. The laser pulses are of 100 fs duration, and the incident intensity is around 10 15 W/cm 2. The dominant mechanisms leading to plasma formation are optical tunnel ionization and collisional ionization. Spectrally resolved polarization measurements show that the high frequency region of the emission is unpolarized whereas the low frequency region is polarized. Results indicate that at lower input intensities the emission arises mainly from plasma recombinations, which is accompanied by a weak blueshift of the incident laser pulse. At higher input intensities strong recombination emissions are seen, along with a broadening and asymmetric spectral blueshift of the pump laser pulse. From the nature of the blueshifted laser pulse it is possible to deduce whether the rate of change of free electron density is a constant or variable within the pulse lifetime. Two input laser intensity regimes, in which collisional and tunnel ionizations are dominant respectively, have been thus identified.

Enhanced laser beam coupling to a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiger, A.D.; Woods, C.H.

1976-01-01

Density perturbations are induced in a heated plasma by means of a pair of oppositely directed, polarized laser beams of the same frequency. The wavelength of the density perturbations is equal to one half the wavelength of the laser beams. A third laser beam is linearly polarized and directed at the perturbed plasma along a line that is perpendicular to the direction of the two opposed beams. The electric field of the third beam is oriented to lie in the plane containing the three beams. The frequency of the third beam is chosen to cause it to interact resonantly with the plasma density perturbations, thereby efficiently coupling the energy of the third beam to the plasma. 10 claims, 2 figures

Relativistically Induced Transparency Acceleration (RITA) - laser-plasma accelerated quasi-monoenergetic GeV ion-beams with existing lasers?

Science.gov (United States)

Sahai, Aakash A.

2013-10-01

Laser-plasma ion accelerators have the potential to produce beams with unprecedented characteristics of ultra-short bunch lengths (100s of fs) and high bunch-charge (1010 particles) over acceleration length of about 100 microns. However, creating and controlling mono-energetic bunches while accelerating to high-energies has been a challenge. If high-energy mono-energetic beams can be demonstrated with minimal post-processing, laser (ω0)-plasma (ωpe) ion accelerators may be used in a wide-range of applications such as cancer hadron-therapy, medical isotope production, neutron generation, radiography and high-energy density science. Here we demonstrate using analysis and simulations that using relativistic intensity laser-pulses and heavy-ion (Mi ×me) targets doped with a proton (or light-ion) species (mp ×me) of trace density (at least an order of magnitude below the cold critical density) we can scale up the energy of quasi-mono-energetically accelerated proton (or light-ion) beams while controlling their energy, charge and energy spectrum. This is achieved by controlling the laser propagation into an overdense (ω0 RITA). Desired proton or light-ion energies can be achieved by controlling the velocity of the snowplow, which is shown to scale inversely with the rise-time of the laser (higher energies for shorter pulses) and directly with the scale-length of the plasma density gradient. Similar acceleration can be produced by controlling the increase of the laser frequency (Chirp Induced Transparency Acceleration, ChITA). Work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF- PHY-0936278. Also, NSF-PHY-0936266 and NSF-PHY-0903039; the US Department of Energy under DEFC02-07ER41500, DE- FG02-92ER40727 and DE-FG52-09NA29552.

Filament-induced remote surface ablation for long range laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohwetter, Ph.; Stelmaszczyk, K.; Woeste, L.; Ackermann, R.; Mejean, G.; Salmon, E.; Kasparian, J.; Yu, J.; Wolf, J.-P.

2005-01-01

We demonstrate laser induced ablation and plasma line emission from a metallic target at distances up to 180 m from the laser, using filaments (self-guided propagation structures ∼ 100 μm in diameter and ∼ 5 x 10 13 W/cm 2 in intensity) appearing as femtosecond and terawatt laser pulses propagating in air. The remarkable property of filaments to propagate over a long distance independently of the diffraction limit opens the frontier to long range operation of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy technique. We call this special configuration of remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy 'remote filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy'. Our results show main features of filament-induced ablation on the surface of a metallic sample and associated plasma emission. Our experimental data allow us to estimate requirements for the detection system needed for kilometer-range remote filament-induced breakdown spectroscopy experiment

New ways for the quantification by the laser-induced plasma spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, Maike

2010-01-01

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is capable of a fast and multielement analysis of various samples types and matrices which makes the method particularly attractive for industrial process analysis. However, for LIBS to become well accepted as an analytical method some issues in calibration and understanding of the underlying transient plasma processes have to be solved. The objective of this work was to identify influential instrumental parameters and plasma conditions in order to improve the overall quantitative performance of LIBS. As the spectral sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio of the detector represents a decisive element for the application of LIBS in an industrial environment, two detectors, an ICCD and CCD camera, were compared. In combination with a high-resolution echelle spectrograph, the superior or at least equivalent efficiency of the non-intensified CCD was experimentally demonstrated and supported by corresponding plasma simulations. Further investigations of the plasma expansion under different atmospheric conditions revealed that the geometry of observing the expanding plasma influences the sensitivity and reproducibility of the measurements considerably. The diagnostics of self-absorbed spectral lines and their use for calibration purposes were studied with a mirror-based duplication method and a statistical line shape analysis employing linear correlation. The linear correlation approach displayed good performance for identifying the on-set of self absorption in comparison to the duplication method. As matrixmatched reference materials are essential to validate laser ablation methods, two novel preparations of individual calibration standards based on a copper-and polyacrylamide matrix were tested for their applicability to LIBS. (orig.)

Determination of plasma temperature and electron density in river sediment plasma using calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Austria, Elmer S. Jr.; Lamorena-Lim, Rheo B.

2015-01-01

Calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) technique is an approach used to quantitatively measure elemental composition of samples without the use of standard reference materials (SRMs). Due to the unavailability of most SRMs for specific samples, the CF-LIBS approach is steadily becoming more prevalent. CF-LIBS also minimizes interferences from the sample matrix by accounting spectral line intensifies of different elements. The first part of the CF-LIBS algorithm is the calculation of plasma temperature and electron density of the sample while the second part deals with the self-absorption correction and quantitative elemental analysis. In this study, the precursor parameters for the algorithm - plasma temperature and electron density - were measured through the neutral atom and ion line emissions of Fe and Cu in the time window of 0.1 to 10 μs. Plasma from river sediment samples were produced by a 1064 nm nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser at atmospheric pressure. The plasma temperature and electron density were calculated from the Boltzmann plot and Saha-Boltzmann equation methods, respectively. These precursor parameters can be used in calculating the time window wherein the plasma is optically thin at local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and for quantitative multi-elemental analysis. (author)

Laser optically pumped by laser-produced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silfvast, W.T.; Wood, O.R. II.

1975-01-01

Laser solids, liquids and gases are pumped by a new technique in which the output from an efficient molecular laser, such as a CO 2 laser, ionizes a medium, such as xenon, into a generally cylindrical plasma volume, in proximity to the pumped laser body. Breakdown yields a visible and ultraviolet-radiation-emitting plasma in that volume to pump the laser body. The spectral radiance of the plasma is significantly higher than that produced by a dc-discharge-heated plasma at nearly all wavelengths in the plasma spectrum. The risetime of radiation from the laser-produced plasma can also be significantly shorter than that of a dc heated plasma. A further advantage resides in the fact that in some applications the attenuating walls needed by flashlamps may be eliminated with the result that laser threshold is more readily reached. Traveling wave excitation may be provided by oblique incidence of the pumping laser beam through the ionizable medium to create sequential ionization of portions of that medium along the length of the pumped laser body. (auth)

Topics in high-intensity laser plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leemans, W.P.

1991-01-01

The interaction of high intensity laser pulses with pre-formed and laser-produced plasmas is studied. Through experiments and simulations we have investigated stimulated Compton scattering in preformed plasmas and the plasma physics aspects of tunnel-ionized gases. A theoretical study is presented on the nonlinear dynamics of relativistic plasma waves driven by colinear optical mixing. The electron density-fluctuation spectra induced by stimulated Compton scattering have been directly observed for the first time. A CO2 laser was focused into pre-formed plasmas with densities n(e) varied from 0.4-6 x 10(exp 16) cu cm. The fluctuations corresponding to backscatter were probed using Thomson scattering. At low n(e), the scattered spectra peak at a frequency shift Delta omega is approximately kv e and appears to be in a linear regime. At the highest n(e), a nonlinear saturation of the SCS instability is observed due to a self-induced perturbation of the electron distribution function. Tunnel-ionized plasmas have been studied through experiments and particle simulations. Experimentally, qualitative evidence for plasma temperature control by varying the laser polarization was obtained by the measurement of stimulated Compton scattering fluctuation spectra and x-ray emission from such plasmas. A higher parallel temperature than expected from the single-particle tunneling model was observed. Simulations indicate that stochastic heating and the Weibel instability play an important role in plasma heating in all directions and isotropization. The non-linear dynamics associated with beatwave (Delta omega, Delta k) excited long wavelength plasma waves in the presence of strong, short wavelength density ripple have been examined, using the relativistic Lagrangian oscillator model. This model shows period doubling that roughly follows Feigenbaum scaling, and a transition to chaos

Elemental analysis of bead samples using a laser-induced plasma at low pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lie, Tjung Jie; Kurniawan, Koo Hendrik; Kurniawan, Davy P.; Pardede, Marincan; Suliyanti, Maria Margaretha; Khumaeni, Ali; Natiq, Shouny A.; Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur; Lee, Yong Inn; Kagawa, Kiichiro; Idris, Nasrullah; Tjia, May On

2006-01-01

An Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 8 ns, 30 mJ) was focused on various types of fresh, fossilized white coral and giant shell samples, including samples of imitation shell and marble. Such samples are extremely important as material for preparing prayer beads that are extensively used in the Buddhist faith. The aim of this research was to develop a non-destructive method to distinguish original beads from their imitations by means of spectral measurements of the carbon, hydrogen, sodium and magnesium emission intensities and by measuring the hardness of the sample using the ratio between Ca (II) 396.8 nm and Ca (I) 422.6 nm. Based on these measurements, original fresh coral beads can be distinguished from any imitation made from hard wood. The same technique was also effective in distinguishing beads made of shell from its imitation. A spectral analysis of bead was also performed on a fossilized white coral sample and the result can be used to distinguish to some extent the fossilized white coral beads from any imitation made from marble. It was also found that the plasma plume should be generated at low ambient pressure to significantly improve the hydrogen and carbon emission intensity and also to avoid energy loss inside the crater during laser irradiation at atmospheric pressure. The results of this study confirm that operating the laser-induced plasma spectroscopy at reduced ambient pressure offers distinct advantage for bead analysis over the conventional laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique operated at atmospheric pressure

Elemental analysis of bead samples using a laser-induced plasma at low pressure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lie, Tjung Jie [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia); Kurniawan, Koo Hendrik [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia)]. E-mail: kurnia18@cbn.net.id; Kurniawan, Davy P. [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia); Pardede, Marincan [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40 Srengseng Raya, Kembangan, Jakarta Barat 11630 (Indonesia); Suliyanti, Maria Margaretha [Graduate Program in Opto Electrotechniques and Laser Applications, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Indonesia, 4 Salemba Raya, Jakarta 10430 (Indonesia); Khumaeni, Ali [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Diponegoro University, Tembalang Campus, Semarang 50275 (Indonesia); Natiq, Shouny A. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Diponegoro University, Tembalang Campus, Semarang 50275 (Indonesia); Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23116 (Indonesia); Lee, Yong Inn [Physics Department, Chonbuk National University, Chonju 561-756, South Korea (Korea); Kagawa, Kiichiro [Department of Physics, Faculty of Education and Regional Studies, Fukui University, 9-1 bunkyo 3-chome, Fukui 910-8507 (Japan); Idris, Nasrullah [Department of Physics, Faculty of Education and Regional Studies, Fukui University, 9-1 bunkyo 3-chome, Fukui 910-8507 (Japan); Tjia, May On [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, 10 Ganesha, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

2006-01-15

An Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm, 8 ns, 30 mJ) was focused on various types of fresh, fossilized white coral and giant shell samples, including samples of imitation shell and marble. Such samples are extremely important as material for preparing prayer beads that are extensively used in the Buddhist faith. The aim of this research was to develop a non-destructive method to distinguish original beads from their imitations by means of spectral measurements of the carbon, hydrogen, sodium and magnesium emission intensities and by measuring the hardness of the sample using the ratio between Ca (II) 396.8 nm and Ca (I) 422.6 nm. Based on these measurements, original fresh coral beads can be distinguished from any imitation made from hard wood. The same technique was also effective in distinguishing beads made of shell from its imitation. A spectral analysis of bead was also performed on a fossilized white coral sample and the result can be used to distinguish to some extent the fossilized white coral beads from any imitation made from marble. It was also found that the plasma plume should be generated at low ambient pressure to significantly improve the hydrogen and carbon emission intensity and also to avoid energy loss inside the crater during laser irradiation at atmospheric pressure. The results of this study confirm that operating the laser-induced plasma spectroscopy at reduced ambient pressure offers distinct advantage for bead analysis over the conventional laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique operated at atmospheric pressure.

The use of laser-induced plasma spectroscopy technique for the characterization of boiler tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nicolas, G.; Mateo, M.P.; Yanez, A.

2007-01-01

The present work focuses on the characterization of boiler tube walls using laser-induced plasma spectroscopy technique with visual inspection by optical and scanning electron microscopy of the cross-sections of these tubes. In a watertube boiler, water runs through tubes that are surrounded by a heating source. As a result, the water is heated to very high temperatures, causing accumulation of deposits on the inside surfaces of the tubes. These deposits play an important role in the efficiency of the boiler tube because they produce a reduction of the boiler heat rate and an increase in the number of tube failures. The objectives are to determine the thickness and arrangement of deposits located on the highest heat area of the boiler and compare them with tube parts where the heat flux is lower. The major deposits found were copper and magnetite. These deposits come mainly from the boiler feedwater and from the reaction between iron and water, and they do not form on the tube walls at a uniform rate over time. Their amount depends on the areas where they are collected. A Nd:YAG laser operating at 355 nm has been used to perform laser-induced plasma spectra and depth profiles of the deposits

The use of laser-induced plasma spectroscopy technique for the characterization of boiler tubes

Science.gov (United States)

Nicolas, G.; Mateo, M. P.; Yañez, A.

2007-12-01

The present work focuses on the characterization of boiler tube walls using laser-induced plasma spectroscopy technique with visual inspection by optical and scanning electron microscopy of the cross-sections of these tubes. In a watertube boiler, water runs through tubes that are surrounded by a heating source. As a result, the water is heated to very high temperatures, causing accumulation of deposits on the inside surfaces of the tubes. These deposits play an important role in the efficiency of the boiler tube because they produce a reduction of the boiler heat rate and an increase in the number of tube failures. The objectives are to determine the thickness and arrangement of deposits located on the highest heat area of the boiler and compare them with tube parts where the heat flux is lower. The major deposits found were copper and magnetite. These deposits come mainly from the boiler feedwater and from the reaction between iron and water, and they do not form on the tube walls at a uniform rate over time. Their amount depends on the areas where they are collected. A Nd:YAG laser operating at 355 nm has been used to perform laser-induced plasma spectra and depth profiles of the deposits.

Process analysis of recycled thermoplasts from consumer electronics by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fink, Herbert; Panne, Ulrich; Niessner, Reinhard

2002-09-01

An experimental setup for direct elemental analysis of recycled thermoplasts from consumer electronics by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS, or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, LIBS) was realized. The combination of a echelle spectrograph, featuring a high resolution with a broad spectral coverage, with multivariate methods, such as PLS, PCR, and variable subset selection via a genetic algorithm, resulted in considerable improvements in selectivity and sensitivity for this complex matrix. With a normalization to carbon as internal standard, the limits of detection were in the ppm range. A preliminary pattern recognition study points to the possibility of polymer recognition via the line-rich echelle spectra. Several experiments at an extruder within a recycling plant demonstrated successfully the capability of LIPS for different kinds of routine on-line process analysis.

Calibration-free quantitative elemental analysis of meteor plasma using reference laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of meteorite samples

Science.gov (United States)

Ferus, Martin; Koukal, Jakub; Lenža, Libor; Srba, Jiří; Kubelík, Petr; Laitl, Vojtěch; Zanozina, Ekaterina M.; Váňa, Pavel; Kaiserová, Tereza; Knížek, Antonín; Rimmer, Paul; Chatzitheodoridis, Elias; Civiš, Svatopluk

2018-03-01

Aims: We aim to analyse real-time Perseid and Leonid meteor spectra using a novel calibration-free (CF) method, which is usually applied in the laboratory for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic (LIBS) chemical analysis. Methods: Reference laser ablation spectra of specimens of chondritic meteorites were measured in situ simultaneously with a high-resolution laboratory echelle spectrograph and a spectral camera for meteor observation. Laboratory data were subsequently evaluated via the CF method and compared with real meteor emission spectra. Additionally, spectral features related to airglow plasma were compared with the spectra of laser-induced breakdown and electric discharge in the air. Results: We show that this method can be applied in the evaluation of meteor spectral data observed in real time. Specifically, CF analysis can be used to determine the chemical composition of meteor plasma, which, in the case of the Perseid and Leonid meteors analysed in this study, corresponds to that of the C-group of chondrites.

Modeling and application of plasma charge current in deep penetration laser welding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xudong; Chen, Wuzhu; Jiang, Ping; Guo, Jing; Tian, Zhiling

2003-01-01

Plasma charge current distribution during deep penetration CO 2 laser welding was analyzed theoretically and experimentally. The laser-induced plasma above the workpiece surface expands up to the nozzle, driven by the particle concentration gradient, forming an electric potential between the workpiece and the nozzle due to the large difference between the diffusion velocities of the ions and the electrons. The plasma-induced current obtained by electrically connecting the nozzle and the workpiece can be increased by adding a negative external voltage. For a fixed set of welding conditions, the plasma charge current increases with the external voltage to a saturation value. The plasma charge current decreases as the nozzle-to-workpiece distance increases. Therefore, closed-loop control of the nozzle-to-workpiece distance for laser welding can be based on the linear relationship between the plasma charge current and the distance. In addition, the amount of plasma above the keyhole can be reduced by a transverse magnetic field, which reduces the attenuation of the incident laser power by the plasma so as to increase the laser welding thermal efficiency

Influence of external magnetic field on laser-induced gold nanoparticles fragmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serkov, A. A.; Rakov, I. I.; Simakin, A. V.; Kuzmin, P. G.; Shafeev, G. A.; Mikhailova, G. N.; Antonova, L. Kh.; Troitskii, A. V.; Kuzmin, G. P.

2016-01-01

Laser-assisted fragmentation is an efficient method of the nanoparticles size and morphology control. However, its exact mechanisms are still under consideration. One of the remaining problems is the plasma formation, inevitably occurring upon the high intensity laser irradiation. In this Letter, the role of the laser-induced plasma is studied via introduction of high-intensity external magnetic field (up to 7.5 T). Its presence is found to cause the plasma emission to start earlier regarding to a laser pulse, also increasing the plume luminosity. Under these conditions, the acceleration of nanoparticles fragmentation down to a few nanometers is observed. Laser-induced plasma interaction with magnetic field and consequent energy transfer from plasma to nanoparticles are discussed.

Analysis of laser-induced evaporation of Al target under conditions of vapour plasma formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mazhukin, V.I.; Nossov, V.V.; Smurov, I.

2004-01-01

The plasma-controlled evaporation of the Al target induced by the laser pulse with intensity of 10 9 W/cm 2 and wavelength of 1.06 μm is analysed with account for the two-dimensional effects. The self consistent model is applied, including the heat transfer equation in condensed medium, the equations of radiation gas dynamics in evaporated substance and the Knudsen layer model at the two media boundary. It is found that the phase transition at the target surface is controlled by the two factors: the surface temperature that depends on the transmitted radiation intensity, and the plasma pressure, governed by the expansion regime. The process comes through three characteristic stages, the sonic evaporation at the beginning, the condensation during the period of plasma formation and initial expansion, and finally, the re-start of evaporation in subsonic regime after the partial brightening of the plasma. During the subsonic evaporation stage the vapour flow and the mass removal rate are much higher near the beam boundaries than in the centre due to smaller plasma counter-pressure. The vapour plasma pattern is characterised by the dense hot zone near the surface where the absorption of laser energy occurs, and rapid decrease of density outside the zone due to three-dimensional expansion

Angular distribution of laser ablation plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, K.; Kanesue, T.; Dabrowski, R.; Okamura, M.

2010-01-01

An expansion of a laser induced plasma is fundamental and important phenomena in a laser ion source. To understand the expanding direction, an array of Langmuir probes were employed. The chosen ion for the experiment was Ag 1+ which was created by a second harmonics of a Nd-YAG laser. The obtained angular distribution was about ±10 degree. This result also indicates a proper positioning of a solenoid magnet which enhances ion beam current.

On-line iron ore slurry monitoring using laser induced plasma spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrette, L.; Turmel, S.; Boivin, J.-A.; Sabsabi, M.; Martinovic, T.I.; Ouellet, G.

1999-01-01

In response to the need for a better control [Lb1] of the various additives used in the iron ore pellet making process, Laser-Induced Plasma Spectroscopy (LIPS) has been tested for the on-line monitoring of Si, AI, Ca, Mg, and C. This work shows that factors such as laser beam focusing, particle size, slurry density and mineralogical composition have to be taken into account to meet precision and accuracy requirements. An internal standardization (peak ratio) and an original multivariate calibration technique based on fuzzy logic concepts [Lb2] are [Lb3] used to minimize the effect of these factors. This paper describes the experimental set-up, the effect of influence factors and the results obtained both in the laboratory and in an iron ore plant. (author)

Modifications of the laser beam coherence inertial confinement fusion plasmas; Modifications des proprietes de coherence des faisceaux laser dans les plasmas de fusion par confinement inertiel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grech, M

2007-06-15

Inertial confinement fusion by laser requires smoothed laser beam with well-controlled coherence properties. Such beams are made of many randomly distributed intensity maxima: the so-called speckles. As the laser beam propagates through plasma its temporal and spatial coherence can be reduced. This phenomenon is called plasma induced smoothing. For high laser intensities, instabilities developing independently inside the speckles are responsible for the coherence loss. At lower intensities, only collective effects, involving many speckles, can lead to induced smoothing. This thesis is a theoretical, numerical and experimental study of these mechanisms. Accounting for the partially incoherent behavior of the laser beams requires the use of statistical description of the laser-plasma interaction. A model is developed for the multiple scattering of the laser light on the self-induced density perturbations that is responsible for a spreading of the temporal and spatial spectra of the transmitted light. It also serves as a strong seed for the instability of forward stimulated Brillouin scattering that induces both, angular spreading and red-shift of the transmitted light. A statistical model is developed for this instability. A criterion is obtained that gives a laser power (below the critical power for filamentation) above which the instability growth is important. Numerical simulations with the interaction code PARAX and an experiment performed on the ALISE laser facility confirm the importance of these forward scattering mechanisms in the modification of the laser coherence properties. (author)

Laser induced fusion - theoretical aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawande, S.V.; Gunye, M.R.

1979-01-01

The theoretical aspects of thermonuclear fusion induced by laser are discussed. After outlining the basic features and the energetics of laser fusion in the chapter 1, various non-linear mechanisms responsible for an enhanced absorption of laser energy into the plasma and the stimulated scattering processes which hinder the absorption are discussed in the second chapter on laser plasma interactions. The third chapter on gas dynamics and the shock phenomena presents the mathematical formulation of the compression to high densities of the core of the pellet for its implosion. A hydrodynamic model developed to stimulate the evolution of laser heated symmetric plasma is outlined in the chapter four on numerichigly relativistic noninteracting particles, regular bouncing states may occur at high densities, or at high temperatures. The latter case is considered in details for the collapse phase of a hot universe; lepton pair creation may completely decelerate the collapse of a hot hadronic plasma, provided the observational parameters, the Hubble constant Hsub(deg), the matter parameter Ωsub(deg) and the deceleration parameter qsub(deg) satisfy certain constraint conditions

Distribution of Fe atom density in a dc magnetron sputtering plasma source measured by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Shibagaki, K.; Nafarizal, N.; Sasaki, K.; Toyoda, H.; Iwata, S.; Kato, T.; Tsunashima, S.; Sugai, H.

2003-10-01

Magnetron sputtering discharge is widely used as an efficient method for thin film fabrication. In order to achieve the optimized fabrication, understanding of the kinetics in plasmas is essential. In the present work, we measured the density distribution of sputtered Fe atoms using laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy. A dc magnetron plasma source with a Fe target was used. An area of 20 × 2 mm in front of the target was irradiated by a tunable laser beam having a planar shape. The picture of laser-induced fluorescence on the laser beam was taken using an ICCD camera. In this way, we obtained the two-dimensional image of the Fe atom density. As a result, it has been found that the Fe atom density observed at a distance of several centimeters from the target is higher than that adjacent to the target, when the Ar gas pressure was relatively high. It is suggested from this result that some gas-phase production processes of Fe atoms are available in the plasma. This work has been performed under the 21st Century COE Program by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan.

Motion of the plasma critical layer during relativistic-electron laser interaction with immobile and comoving ion plasma for ion acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sahai, Aakash A.

2014-01-01

We analyze the motion of the plasma critical layer by two different processes in the relativistic-electron laser-plasma interaction regime (a 0 >1). The differences are highlighted when the critical layer ions are stationary in contrast to when they move with it. Controlling the speed of the plasma critical layer in this regime is essential for creating low-β traveling acceleration structures of sufficient laser-excited potential for laser ion accelerators. In Relativistically Induced Transparency Acceleration (RITA) scheme, the heavy plasma-ions are fixed and only trace-density light-ions are accelerated. The relativistic critical layer and the acceleration structure move longitudinally forward by laser inducing transparency through apparent relativistic increase in electron mass. In the Radiation Pressure Acceleration (RPA) scheme, the whole plasma is longitudinally pushed forward under the action of the laser radiation pressure, possible only when plasma ions co-propagate with the laser front. In RPA, the acceleration structure velocity critically depends upon plasma-ion mass in addition to the laser intensity and plasma density. In RITA, mass of the heavy immobile plasma-ions does not affect the speed of the critical layer. Inertia of the bared immobile ions in RITA excites the charge separation potential, whereas RPA is not possible when ions are stationary

Laser-pulsed Plasma Chemistry: Laser-initiated Plasma Oxidation Of Niobium

OpenAIRE

Marks R.F.; Pollak R.A.; Avouris Ph.; Lin C.T.; Thefaine Y.J.

1983-01-01

We report the first observation of the chemical modification of a solid surface exposed to an ambient gas plasma initiated by the interaction of laser radiation with the same surface. A new technique, which we designate laser-pulsed plasma chemistry (LPPC), is proposed for activating heterogeneous chemical reactions at solid surfaces in a gaseous ambient by means of a plasma initiated by laser radiation. Results for niobium metal in one atmosphere oxygen demonstrate single-pulse, self-limitin...

Sensitive elemental detection using microwave-assisted laser-induced breakdown imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Iqbal, Adeel; Sun, Zhiwei; Wall, Matthew; Alwahabi, Zeyad T.

2017-10-01

This study reports a sensitive spectroscopic method for quantitative elemental detection by manipulating the temporal and spatial parameters of laser-induced plasma. The method was tested for indium detection in solid samples, in which laser ablation was used to generate a tiny plasma. The lifetime of the laser-induced plasma can be extended to hundreds of microseconds using microwave injection to remobilize the electrons. In this novel method, temporal integrated signal of indium emission was significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, the projected detectable area of the excited indium atoms was also significantly improved using an interference-, instead of diffraction-, based technique, achieved by directly imaging microwave-enhanced plasma through a novel narrow-bandpass filter, exactly centered at the indium emission line. Quantitative laser-induce breakdown spectroscopy was also recorded simultaneously with the new imaging method. The intensities recorded from both methods exhibit very good mutual linear relationship. The detection intensity was improved to 14-folds because of the combined improvements in the plasma lifetime and the area of detection.

Contributions to process monitoring by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Rusak, David Alexander

1998-12-01

When a pulsed laser of sufficient energy and pulse duration is brought to a focus, multi-photon ionization creates free electrons in the focal volume. These electrons are accelerated in a process known as inverse Bremsstrahlung and cause collisional ionization of species in the focal volume. More charge carriers are produced and the process continues for the duration of the laser pulse. The manifestation of this process is a visible spark or plasma which typically lasts for tens of microseconds. This laser-induced plasma can serve as a source in an atomic emission experiment. Because the composition of the plasma is determined in large part by the environment in which it forms, elements in the laser target can be determined spectroscopically. The goal of a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) experiment is to establish a relationship between the concentration of an element of interest in the target and the intensity of light emitted from the laser-induced plasma at a wavelength characteristic of that element. Because LIBS requires only optical access to the sample and can perform elemental determinations in solids, liquids, or gases with little sample preparation, there is interest in using it as an on-line technique for process monitoring in a number of industrial applications. However, before the technique becomes useful in industrial applications, many issues regarding instrumentation and data analysis need to be addressed in the lab. The first two chapters of this dissertation provide, respectively, the basics of the atomic emission experiment and a background of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. The next two chapters examine the effect of target water content on the laser-induced plasma and the use of LIBS for analysis of aqueous samples. Chapter 5 describes construction of a fiber optic LIBS probe and its use to study temporal electron number density evolution in plasmas formed on different metals. Chapter 6 is a study of excitation, vibrational

Local thermodynamic equilibrium and related metrological issues involving collisional-radiative model in laser-induced aluminum plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travaille, G.; Peyrusse, O.; Bousquet, B.; Canioni, L.; Pierres, K. Michel-Le; Roy, S.

2009-01-01

We present a collisional-radiative approach of the theoretical analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) plasmas. This model, which relies on an optimized effective potential atomic structure code, was used to simulate a pure aluminum plasma. The description of aluminum involved a set of 220 atomic levels representative of three different stages of ionization (Al 0 , Al + and Al ++ ). The calculations were carried for stationary plasmas, with input parameters (n e and T e ) ranging respectively between 10 13-18 cm -3 and 0.3-2 eV. A comparison of our atomic data with some existing databases is made. The code was mainly developed to address the validity of the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) assumption. For usual LIBS plasma parameters, we did not reveal a sizeable discrepancy of the radiative equilibrium of the plasma towards LTE. For cases where LTE was firmly believed to stand, the Boltzmann plot outputs of this code were used to check the physical accuracy of the Boltzmann temperature, as it is currently exploited in several calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) studies. In this paper, a deviation ranging between 10 and 30% of the measured Boltzmann temperature to the real excitation temperature is reported. This may be due to the huge dispersion induced on the line emissivities, on which the Boltzmann plots are based to extract this parameter. Consequences of this fact on the CF-LIBS procedure are discussed and further insights to be considered for the future are introduced.

Oxidation of laser-induced plasma species in different background conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Bator, Matthias; Schneider, Christof W.; Lippert, Thomas; Wokaun, Alexander

2013-08-01

The evolution of Lu and LuO species in a laser ablation plasma from different targets has been investigated by simultaneously performing mass spectrometry and plasma imaging. Ablation was achieved with a 248 nm KrF laser from a Lu, a Lu2O5 and a LuMnO3 target under different background gas conditions. Mass spectrometry measurements show very similar intensities and ratios for the respective species for all three targets under the same ablation conditions. This indicates only a small influence of the target on the final Lu and LuO contents in the plasma, with the major influence coming from collisions with the background gas. Furthermore, spatially, timely and spectrally resolved plasma imaging was utilized to clearly identify the shockwave at the plasma front as the main region for Lu oxidation. A strong decrease of Lu intensities together with a directly correlated increase of LuO was observed toward the outer regions of the plasma.

A comparative study of the laser induce breakdown spectroscopy in single- and double-pulse laser geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Duixiong; Su Maogen; Dong Chenzhong; Wen Guanhong; Cao Xiangnian

2013-01-01

A time resolved laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique (LIBS) was used for the investigation of emission signal enhancement on double-pulse LIBS. Two Q-switched Nd:YAG lasers at 1064 nm wavelength have been employed to generate laser-induced plasma on aluminium-based alloys. The plasma emission signals were recorded by spectrometer with ICCD detector. Spectral response calibration was performed by using deuterium and tungsten halogen lamps. Time evolution of the plasma temperature and electron density was investigated in SP and DP experiments. Based on the investigation of plasma parameters, the enhancements of emission line intensities were investigated, and the mechanisms of it were discussed. (author)

Anisotropic instability in a laser heated plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sangam, A.; Morreeuw, J.-P.; Tikhonchuk, V. T.

2007-01-01

The theory of the Weibel instability induced by the inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption of a laser light in an underdense plasma is revisited. It is shown that previous analyses have strongly overestimated the effect by neglecting the stabilizing term related to the interaction of the generated quasistatic magnetic field with the laser-heated electrons. The revised model leads to a reduction of the growth rate by more than a factor of 10, to strong reduction of the domain of unstable modes and to inversion of the direction of the unstable wave vectors in the long wavelength limit. The consequences of this instability on the laser plasma interaction are also discussed

Parallel ion flow velocity measurement using laser induced fluorescence method in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, Shinji; Okamoto, Atsushi; Terasaka, Kenichiro; Ogiwara, Kohei; Tanaka, Masayoshi Y.; Aramaki, Mitsutoshi

2010-01-01

Parallel ion flow velocity along a magnetic field has been measured using a laser induced fluorescence (LIF) method in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) argon plasma with a weakly-diverging magnetic field. To measure parallel flow velocity in a cylindrical plasma using the LIF method, the laser beam should be injected along device axis; however, the reflection of the incident beam causes interference between the LIF emission of the incident and reflected beams. Here we present a method of quasi-parallel laser injection at a small angle, which utilizes the reflected beam as well as the incident beam to obtain the parallel ion flow velocity. Using this method, we observed an increase in parallel ion flow velocity along the magnetic field. The acceleration mechanism is briefly discussed on the basis of the ion fluid model. (author)

Characterization of laser-induced plasmas as a complement to high-explosive large-scale detonations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clare Kimblin

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Experimental investigations into the characteristics of laser-induced plasmas indicate that LIBS provides a relatively inexpensive and easily replicable laboratory technique to isolate and measure reactions germane to understanding aspects of high-explosive detonations under controlled conditions. Spectral signatures and derived physical parameters following laser ablation of aluminum, graphite and laser-sparked air are examined as they relate to those observed following detonation of high explosives and as they relate to shocked air. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS reliably correlates reactions involving atomic Al and aluminum monoxide (AlO with respect to both emission spectra and temperatures, as compared to small- and large-scale high-explosive detonations. Atomic Al and AlO resulting from laser ablation and a cited small-scale study, decay within ∼10-5 s, roughly 100 times faster than the Al and AlO decay rates (∼10-3 s observed following the large-scale detonation of an Al-encased explosive. Temperatures and species produced in laser-sparked air are compared to those produced with laser ablated graphite in air. With graphite present, CN is dominant relative to N2+. In studies where the height of the ablating laser’s focus was altered relative to the surface of the graphite substrate, CN concentration was found to decrease with laser focus below the graphite surface, indicating that laser intensity is a critical factor in the production of CN, via reactive nitrogen.

Confinement effects of shock waves on laser-induced plasma from a graphite target

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Feiling; Liang, Peipei; Yang, Xu; Cai, Hua; Wu, Jiada; Xu, Ning; Ying, Zhifeng; Sun, Jian, E-mail: jsun@fudan.edu.cn [Shanghai Ultra-Precision Optical Manufacturing Engineering Center, Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China)

2015-06-15

The spatial confinement effects of shock waves on the laser-induced plasma (LIP) from a graphite target in air were studied by probe beam deflection (PBD) measurements and optical emission spectroscopy (OES). A clear relationship between the confinement of the LIP by the shock wave and the effects on the LIP emission was observed, and the underlying mechanisms are discussed. PBD monitoring revealed that the laser-ablation induced shock wave could be well analogized to the shock wave generated by a point explosion and would be reflected by a block. OES measurements indicated that the optical emission of the LIP exhibited significant variations with the block placement. A first enhancement and then a fast decay of CN molecular emission as well as a suppression of carbon atomic emission were observed in the presence of the block. The results revealed that the reflected shock wave spatially confined the expansion of the LIP and compressed the LIP after encountering it, pushing back the species of the LIP and changing the density of the LIP species including luminous carbon atoms and CN molecules. It is suggested that the change of the LIP emission is attributed to the density variation of the LIP species due to the compression of the LIP and the reactions occurring in the plasma.

Modeling of plasma distortions by laser-induced ablation spectroscopy (LIAS) and implications for the interpretation of LIAS measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Tokar, M. Z.; Gierse, N.; Philipps, V.; Samm, U.

2015-09-01

For the interpretation of the line radiation observed from laser induced ablation spectroscopy (LIAS) such parameters as the density and temperature of electrons within very compact clouds of atoms and singly charged ions of ablated material have to be known. Compared to the local plasma conditions prior to the laser pulse, these can be strongly changed during LIAS since new electrons are generated by the ionisation of particles ejected from the irradiated target. Because of their transience and spatial inhomogeneity it is technically difficult to measure disturbances induced in the plasma by LIAS. To overcome this uncertainty a numerical model has been elaborated, providing a self-consistent description for the spreading of ablated particles and accompanying modifications in the plasma. The results of calculations for LIAS performed on carbon-containing targets in Ohmic and additionally heated discharges in the tokamak TEXTOR are presented. Due to the increase in the electron density the ‘ionisation per photon’ ratio, S/XB factor, is significantly enhanced compared to unperturbed plasma conditions. The impact of the amount of material ablated and of the plasma conditions before LIAS on the level of the S/XB-enhancement is investigated.

Influence of the laser parameters on the space and time characteristics of an aluminum laser-induced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthelemy, O.; Margot, J.; Chaker, M.; Sabsabi, M.; Vidal, F.; Johnston, T.W.; Laville, S.; Le Drogoff, B.

2005-01-01

In this work, an aluminum laser plasma produced in ambient air at atmospheric pressure by laser pulses at a fluence of 10 J/cm 2 is characterized by time- and space-resolved measurements of electron density and temperature. Varying the laser pulse duration from 6 ns to 80 fs and the laser wavelength from ultraviolet to infrared only slightly influences the plasma properties. The temperature exhibits a slight decrease both at the plasma edge and close to the target surface. The electron density is found to be spatially homogeneous in the ablation plume during the first microsecond. Finally, the plasma expansion is in good agreement with the Sedov's model during the first 500 ns and it becomes subsonic, with respect to the velocity of sound in air, typically 1 μs after the plasma creation. The physical interpretation of the experimental results is also discussed to the light of a one-dimensional fluid model which provides a good qualitative agreement with measurements

Optical breakdown threshold investigation of 1064 nm laser induced air plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiyagarajan, Magesh; Thompson, Shane

2012-01-01

We present the theoretical and experimental measurements and analysis of the optical breakdown threshold for dry air by 1064 nm infrared laser radiation and the significance of the multiphoton and collisional cascade ionization process on the breakdown threshold measurements over pressures range from 10 to 2000 Torr. Theoretical estimates of the breakdown threshold laser intensities and electric fields are obtained using two distinct theories namely multiphoton and collisional cascade ionization theories. The theoretical estimates are validated by experimental measurements and analysis of laser induced breakdown processes in dry air at a wavelength of 1064 nm by focusing 450 mJ max, 6 ns, 75 MW max high-power 1064 nm IR laser radiation onto a 20 μm radius spot size that produces laser intensities up to 3 - 6 TW/cm 2 , sufficient for air ionization over the pressures of interest ranging from 10 to 2000 Torr. Analysis of the measured breakdown threshold laser intensities and electric fields are carried out in relation with classical and quantum theoretical ionization processes, operating pressures. Comparative analysis of the laser air breakdown results at 1064 nm with corresponding results of a shorter laser wavelength (193 nm) [M. Thiyagarajan and J. E. Scharer, IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 36, 2512 (2008)] and a longer microwave wavelength (10 8 nm) [A. D. MacDonald, Microwave Breakdown in Gases (Wiley, New York, 1966)]. A universal scaling analysis of the breakdown threshold measurements provided a direct comparison of breakdown threshold values over a wide range of frequencies ranging from microwave to ultraviolet frequencies. Comparison of 1064 nm laser induced effective field intensities for air breakdown measurements with data calculated based on the collisional cascade and multiphoton breakdown theories is used successfully to determine the scaled collisional microwave portion. The measured breakdown threshold of 1064 nm laser intensities are then scaled to

Resonance-enhanced laser-induced plasma spectroscopy for sensitive elemental analysis: Elucidation of enhancement mechanisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lui, S.L.; Cheung, N.H.

2002-01-01

When performing laser-induced plasma spectroscopy for elemental analysis, the analyte signal-to-noise ratio increased from four to over fifty if the plume was reheated by a dye laser pulse tuned to resonant absorption. Time-resolved studies showed that the enhancement was not due to resonance photoionization. Rather, efficient and controlled rekindling of a larger plume volume was the key mechanism. The signal-to-noise ratio further increased to over a hundred if the atmosphere was replaced by a low-pressure heavy inert gas. The ambient gas helped confine and thermally insulate the expanding vapor

Time- and space-resolved spectroscopic characterization of laser-induced swine muscle tissue plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camacho, J.J. [Departamento de Química-Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Diaz, L., E-mail: luis.diaz@csic.es [Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CFMAC, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Martinez-Ramirez, S. [Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CFMAC, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain); Caceres, J.O. [Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, Cuidad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

2015-09-01

The spatial-temporal evolution of muscle tissue sample plasma induced by a high-power transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO{sub 2} pulsed laser at vacuum conditions (0.1–0.01 Pa) has been investigated using high-resolution optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and imaging methods. The induced plasma shows mainly electronically excited neutral Na, K, C, Mg, H, Ca, N and O atoms, ionized C{sup +}, C{sup 2+}, C{sup 3+}, Mg{sup +}, Mg{sup 2+}, N{sup +}, N{sup 2+}, Ca{sup +}, O{sup +} and O{sup 2+} species and molecular band systems of CN(B{sup 2}Σ{sup +}–X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}), C{sub 2}(d{sup 3}Π{sub g}–a{sup 3}Π{sub u}), CH(B{sup 2}Σ{sup −}–X{sup 2}Π; A{sup 2}Δ–X{sup 2}Π), NH(A{sup 3}Π–X{sup 3}Σ{sup −}), OH(A{sup 2}Σ{sup +}–X{sup 2} Σ{sup +}), and CaOH(B{sup 2}Σ{sup +}–X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}; A{sup 2}Π–X{sup 2}Σ{sup +}). Time-resolved two-dimensional emission spectroscopy is used to study the expanded distribution of different species ejected during ablation. Spatial and temporal variations of different atoms and ionic excited species are reported. Plasma parameters such as electron density and temperature were measured from the spatio-temporal analysis of different species. Average velocities of some plasma species were estimated. - Highlights: • LIBS of swine muscle tissue sample generated by CO{sub 2} laser pulses has been done for the first time. • Average velocities of some plasma species have been calculated from spatial and temporally resolved 2D OES images. • Electron density (~ 9 × 10{sup 17} cm{sup -3}) has been studied with spatial and temporal resolution. • Temporal evolution of the plasma temperature has been calculated by means of Boltzmann plots.

Calculation of high-pressure argon plasma parameters produced by excimer laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuda, Norio; Yamada, Jun

2000-01-01

When a XeCl excimer laser light was focused in a high-pressure argon gas up to 150 atm, a dense plasma developed not only backward but also forward. It is important to study on the electron density and temperature of the laser-induced plasma in the high-pressure gas. The electron density and temperature in high-pressure argon plasma produced by XeCl excimer laser has been calculated and compared with the experimental data. (author)

Laser-induced carbon plasma emission spectroscopic measurements on solid targets and in gas-phase optical breakdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemes, Laszlo; Keszler, Anna M.; Hornkohl, James O.; Parigger, Christian

2005-01-01

We report measurements of time- and spatially averaged spontaneous-emission spectra following laser-induced breakdown on a solid graphite/ambient gas interface and on solid graphite in vacuum, and also emission spectra from gas-phase optical breakdown in allene C3H4 and helium, and in CO2 and helium mixtures. These emission spectra were dominated by CII (singly ionized carbon), CIII (doubly ionized carbon), hydrogen Balmer beta (H b eta), and Swan C2 band features. Using the local thermodynamic equilibrium and thin plasma assumptions, we derived electron number density and electron temperature estimates. The former was in the 1016 cm -3 range, while the latter was found to be near 20000 K. In addition, the vibration-rotation temperature of the Swan bands of the C2 radical was determined to be between 4500 and 7000 K, using an exact theoretical model for simulating diatomic emission spectra. This temperature range is probably caused by the spatial inhomogeneity of the laser-induced plasma plume. Differences are pointed out in the role of ambient CO2 in a solid graphite target and in gas-phase breakdown plasma

Interferometric investigation of shock waves induced by a TEA-CO2 laser produced plasma in air in front of a solid target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apostol, D.; Apostol, I.; Cojocaru, E.; Draganescu, V.; Mihailescu, N.I.; Morjan, I.; Konov, I.V.

1979-06-01

The shock waves induced in the surrounding atmosphere by an air plasma were investigated by laser interferometry. The air breakdown plasma was produced by a TEA-CO 2 laser in front of a solid target. The results were compared to the predictions of theory of intense explosions in gases and a good agreement was inferred. It was also determined that the symmetry of the expansion of the initial shock wave is determined by the plasma source shape and, accordingly, depends on the laser power density incident on the target surface. However, for further stages all the shock waves expand spherically. (author)

Comparative study of Nd:YAG laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser-induced gas plasma spectroscopy on chromated copper arsenate preservative-treated wood.

Science.gov (United States)

Khumaeni, Ali; Lie, Zener Sukra; Niki, Hideaki; Lee, Yong Inn; Kurihara, Kazuyoshi; Wakasugi, Motoomi; Takahashi, Touru; Kagawa, Kiichiro

2012-03-01

Taking advantage of the specific characteristics of a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO(2) laser, a sophisticated technique for the analysis of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in wood samples has been developed. In this study, a CCA-treated wood sample with a dimension of 20 mm × 20 mm and a thickness of 2 mm was attached in contact to a nickel plate (20 mm × 20 mm × 0.15 mm), which functions as a subtarget. When the TEA CO(2) laser was successively irradiated onto the wood surface, a hole with a diameter of approximately 2.5 mm was produced inside the sample and the laser beam was directly impinged onto the metal subtarget. Strong and stable gas plasma with a very large diameter of approximately 10 mm was induced once the laser beam had directly struck the metal subtarget. This gas plasma then interacted with the fine particles of the sample inside the hole and finally the particles were effectively dissociated and excited in the gas plasma region. By using this technique, high precision and sensitive analysis of CCA-treated wood sample was realized. A linear calibration curve of Cr was successfully made using the CCA-treated wood sample. The detection limits of Cr, Cu, and As were estimated to be approximately 1, 2, and 15 mg/kg, respectively. In the case of standard LIBS using the Nd:YAG laser, the analytical intensities fluctuate and the detection limit was much lower at approximately one-tenth that of TEA CO(2) laser. © 2012 Optical Society of America

Effect of ablation photon energy on the distribution of molecular species in laser-induced plasma from polymer in air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lei, W.Q. [State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai (China); Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, France, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France); Ma, Q.L.; Motto-Ros, V.; Bai, X.S. [Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, France, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France); Zheng, L.J. [State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai (China); Zeng, H.P., E-mail: hpzeng@phy.ecnu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy, East China Normal University, Shanghai (China); Yu, J., E-mail: Jin.Yu@lasim.univ-lyon1.fr [Universite de Lyon, F-69622, Lyon, France, Universite Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, CNRS, UMR5579, LASIM (France)

2012-07-15

Distribution of molecular species, C{sub 2} and CN, in laser-induced plasma from a polymer target (polyvinyl chloride: PVC) was observed for ablation with 266 nm and 355 nm pulses. The influence of ablation photon energy on the distribution of molecular species in the plasma has been thus studied. Time- and space-resolved emission spectroscopy was used for the observation which led to the determination of emission intensity profiles of C{sub 2} molecule and CN radical for different delays after the impact of the laser pulse on the target. The profiles of related elements, C, N, and excitation temperature in the plasma were further determined to correlate with those of molecular emission intensity. Different behaviors were clearly observed between plasmas induced by pulses with the two different wavelengths chosen to be close each other in the near ultraviolet (UV). A closer analysis shows the photon energy corresponding to 266 nm pulse of 4.66 eV is larger than bond energies of all the chemical bonds in the studied polymer, while that of 355 nm radiation of 3.49 eV is smaller than or in the same range of the involved bond energies. Observed different behaviors suggest therefore different ablation mechanisms of polymer by laser radiation, and consequently different channels of molecule formation in the plasma. Observation of the morphology of the craters on the target surface left by laser ablation confirmed further different ablation mechanisms with the two used wavelengths. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The profiles of C{sub 2} and CN in a plasma induced from a PVC target were determined. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Different behaviors were observed for ablation with 266 nm and 355 nm pulses. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Different molecule formation channels were used to interpret such behaviors. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The morphology of the craters confirmed further the different ablation mechanisms.

Effect of an ultrafast laser induced plasma on a relativistic electron beam to determine temporal overlap in pump–probe experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scoby, Cheyne M., E-mail: scoby@physics.ucla.edu [UCLA Department of Physics, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States); Li, R.K.; Musumeci, P. [UCLA Department of Physics, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

2013-04-15

In this paper we report on a simple and robust method to measure the absolute temporal overlap of the laser and the electron beam at the sample based on the effect of a laser induced plasma on the electron beam transverse distribution, successfully extending a similar method from keV to MeV electron beams. By pumping a standard copper TEM grid to form the plasma, we gain timing information independent of the sample under study. In experiments discussed here the optical delay to achieve temporal overlap between the pump electron beam and probe laser can be determined with ∼1ps precision.

Effect of an ultrafast laser induced plasma on a relativistic electron beam to determine temporal overlap in pump–probe experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scoby, Cheyne M.; Li, R.K.; Musumeci, P.

2013-01-01

In this paper we report on a simple and robust method to measure the absolute temporal overlap of the laser and the electron beam at the sample based on the effect of a laser induced plasma on the electron beam transverse distribution, successfully extending a similar method from keV to MeV electron beams. By pumping a standard copper TEM grid to form the plasma, we gain timing information independent of the sample under study. In experiments discussed here the optical delay to achieve temporal overlap between the pump electron beam and probe laser can be determined with ∼1ps precision

Measurements of plasma temperature and electron density in laser ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

of 6 ns focussed onto a copper solid sample in air at atmospheric pressure is studied spectroscopically. ... Pulsed laser-induced plasmas (LIPs) of metals and alloys formed at laser pulse ir- radiances near the .... fibre-based collection system.

Spectroscopic diagnostics of plasma during laser processing of aluminium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lober, R; Mazumder, J

2007-01-01

The role of the plasma in laser-metal interaction is of considerable interest due to its influence in the energy transfer mechanism in industrial laser materials processing. A 10 kW CO 2 laser was used to study its interaction with aluminium under an argon environment. The objective was to determine the absorption and refraction of the laser beam through the plasma during the processing of aluminium. Laser processing of aluminium is becoming an important topic for many industries, including the automobile industry. The spectroscopic relative line to continuum method was used to determine the electron temperature distribution within the plasma by investigating the 4158 A Ar I line emission and the continuum adjacent to it. The plasmas are induced in 1.0 atm pure Ar environment over a translating Al target, using f/7 and 10 kW CO 2 laser. Spectroscopic data indicated that the plasma composition and behaviour were Ar-dominated. Experimental results indicated the plasma core temperature to be 14 000-15 300 K over the incident range of laser powers investigated from 5 to 7 kW. It was found that 7.5-29% of the incident laser power was absorbed by the plasma. Cross-section analysis of the melt pools from the Al samples revealed the absence of any key-hole formation and confirmed that the energy transfer mechanism in the targets was conduction dominated for the reported range of experimental data

Spectroscopic diagnostics of plasma during laser processing of aluminium

Science.gov (United States)

Lober, R.; Mazumder, J.

2007-10-01

The role of the plasma in laser-metal interaction is of considerable interest due to its influence in the energy transfer mechanism in industrial laser materials processing. A 10 kW CO2 laser was used to study its interaction with aluminium under an argon environment. The objective was to determine the absorption and refraction of the laser beam through the plasma during the processing of aluminium. Laser processing of aluminium is becoming an important topic for many industries, including the automobile industry. The spectroscopic relative line to continuum method was used to determine the electron temperature distribution within the plasma by investigating the 4158 Å Ar I line emission and the continuum adjacent to it. The plasmas are induced in 1.0 atm pure Ar environment over a translating Al target, using f/7 and 10 kW CO2 laser. Spectroscopic data indicated that the plasma composition and behaviour were Ar-dominated. Experimental results indicated the plasma core temperature to be 14 000-15 300 K over the incident range of laser powers investigated from 5 to 7 kW. It was found that 7.5-29% of the incident laser power was absorbed by the plasma. Cross-section analysis of the melt pools from the Al samples revealed the absence of any key-hole formation and confirmed that the energy transfer mechanism in the targets was conduction dominated for the reported range of experimental data.

Production of organic compounds in plasmas: A comparison among electric sparks, laser-induced plasmas and UV light

Science.gov (United States)

Scattergood, T. W.; Mckay, C. P.; Borucki, W. J.; Giver, L. P.; Vanghyseghem, H.; Parris, J. E.; Miller, S. L.

1991-01-01

In order to study the production of organic compounds in plasmas (and shocks), various mixtures of N2, CH4, and H2, modeling the atmosphere of Titan, were exposed to discrete sparks, laser-induced plasmas (LIP) and ultraviolet light. The yields of HCN and simple hydrocarbons were measured and compared to those calculated from a simple quenched thermodynamic equilibrium model. The agreement between experiment and theory was fair for HCN and C2H2. However, the yields of C2H6 and other hydrocarbons were much higher than those predicted by the model. Our experiments suggest that photolysis by ultraviolet light from the plasma is an important process in the synthesis. This was confirmed by the photolysis of gas samples exposed to the light, but not to the plasma or shock waves. The results of these experiments demonstrate that, in addition to the well-known efficient synthesis of organic compounds in plasmas, the yields of saturated species, e.g., ethane, may be higher than predicted by theory and that LIP provide a convenient and clean way of simulating planetary lightning and impact plasmas in the laboratory.

Efficient plasma and bubble generation underwater by an optimized laser excitation and its application for liquid analyses by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazic, Violeta; Jovicevic, Sonja; Fantoni, Roberta; Colao, Francesco

2007-01-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) measurements were performed on bulk water solutions by applying a double-pulse excitation from a Q-Switched (QS) Nd:YAG laser emitting at 1064 nm. In order to optimize the LIBS signal, laser pulse energies were varied through changing of the QS trigger delays with respect to the flash-lamp trigger. We had noted that reduction of the first pulse energy from 92 mJ to 72 mJ drastically improves the signal, although the second pulse energy was also lowered from 214 mJ to 144 mJ. With lower pulse energies, limit of detection (LOD) for Mg in pure water was reduced for one order of magnitude (34 ppb instead of 210 ppb). In order to explain such a phenomenon, we studied the dynamics of the gas bubble generated after the first laser pulse through measurements of the HeNe laser light scattered on the bubble. The influence of laser energy on underwater bubble and plasma formation and corresponding plasma emission intensity were also studied by photographic technique. From the results obtained, we conclude that the optimal first pulse energy should be kept close to the plasma elongation threshold, in our case about 65 mJ, where the gas bubble has its maximum lateral expansion and the secondary plasma is still well-localized. The importance of a multi-pulse sequence on the LIBS signal was also analyzed, where the pulse sequence after the first QS aperture was produced by operating the laser close to the lasing threshold, with the consequent generation of relaxation oscillations. Low-energy multi-pulses might keep the bubble expansion large prior to the probing pulse, but preventing the formation of secondary weak plasmas in multiple sites, which reduces the LIBS signal. The short interval between the pre-pulses and the probing pulse is another reason for the observed LIBS signal enhancement

Non-equilibrium modeling of UV laser induced plasma on a copper target in the presence of Cu{sup 2+}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ait Oumeziane, Amina, E-mail: a.aitoumeziane@gmail.com; Liani, Bachir [Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, Abou Beker Blekaid University (Algeria); Parisse, Jean-Denis [IUSTI UMR CNRS 7343, Aix-Marseille University (France); French Air School, Salon de Provence (France)

2016-03-15

This work is a contribution to the understanding of UV laser ablation of a copper sample in the presence of Cu{sup 2+} species as well as electronic non-equilibrium in the laser induced plasma. This particular study extends a previous paper and develops a 1D hydrodynamic model to describe the behavior of the laser induced plume, including the thermal non-equilibrium between electrons and heavy particles. Incorporating the formation of doubly charged ions (Cu{sup 2+}) in such an approach has not been considered previously. We evaluate the effect of the presence of doubly ionized species on the characteristics of the plume, i.e., temperature, pressure, and expansion velocity, and on the material itself by evaluating the ablation depth and plasma shielding effects. This study evaluates the effects of the doubly charged species using a non-equilibrium hydrodynamic approach which comprises a contribution to the understanding of the governing processes of the interaction of ultraviolet nanosecond laser pulses with metals and the parameter optimization depending on the intended application.

Lasers plasmas and magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albertazzi, Bruno

2014-01-01

We studied the coupling between a laser produced plasmas and a magnetic field in two cases: 1) in the context of Inertial Fusion Confinement (ICF), we first studied how magnetic fields are self generated during the interaction between a target and a laser, then 2) to progress in the understanding of the large-scale shaping of astrophysical jets, we studied the influence of an externally applied magnetic field on the dynamics of a laser-produced plasma expanding into vacuum. The first part of this thesis is thus dedicated to a numerical and experimental study of the self generated magnetic fields that are produced following the irradiation of a solid target by a high power laser (having pulse duration in the nanosecond and picosecond regimes). These fields play an important role in the frame of ICF since they influence the dynamics of the electrons produced during the laser-matter interaction, and thus condition the success of ICF experiments. The second part of this thesis is a numerical and experimental study of the influence of an externally applied magnetic field on the morphology of a laser produced plasma freely otherwise expanding into vacuum. This work aims at better understanding the observed large-scale collimation of astrophysical jets which cannot be understood in the frame of existing models. We notably show that a purely axial magnetic field can force an initially isotropic laboratory flow, scaled to be representative of a flow emerging from a Young Star Object, in a re-collimation shock, from which emerges a narrow, well collimated jet. We also show that the plasma heating induced at the re-collimation point could explain the 'puzzling' observations of stationary X ray emission zones embedded within astrophysical jets. (author) [fr

Simulation of laser interaction with ablative plasma and hydrodynamic behavior of laser supported plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tong Huifeng; Yuan Hong [Institute of Fluid Physics, Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, P.O. Box 919-101, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900 (China); Tang Zhiping [CAS Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior and Design of Materials, Department of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026 (China)

2013-01-28

When an intense laser beam irradiates on a solid target, ambient air ionizes and becomes plasma, while part of the target rises in temperature, melts, vaporizes, ionizes, and yet becomes plasma. A general Godunov finite difference scheme WENO (Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory Scheme) with fifth-order accuracy is used to simulate 2-dimensional axis symmetrical laser-supported plasma flow field in the process of laser ablation. The model of the calculation of ionization degree of plasma and the interaction between laser beam and plasma are considered in the simulation. The numerical simulations obtain the profiles of temperature, density, and velocity at different times which show the evolvement of the ablative plasma. The simulated results show that the laser energy is strongly absorbed by plasma on target surface and that the velocity of laser supported detonation (LSD) wave is half of the ideal LSD value derived from Chapman-Jouguet detonation theory.

Transversely Excited Atmospheric CO2 Laser-Induced Plasma Spectroscopy for the Detection of Heavy Metals in Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Khumaeni, A.; Sugito, H.; Setia Budi, W.; Yoyo Wardaya, A.

2018-01-01

A rapid detection of heavy metals in soil was presented by the metal-assisted gas plasma method using specific characteristics of a pulsed, transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO2 laser. The soil particles were placed in a hole made of acrylic plate. The sample was covered by a to prevent the soil particles from being blown off. The mesh also functioned to initiate a luminous plasma. When a TEA CO2 laser (1500 mJ, 200 ns) was focused on the soil sample, passing through the metal mesh, some of the laser energy was used to generate the gas plasma on the mesh surface, and the remaining laser energy was employed to ablate the soil particles. The fine, ablated soil particles moved into the gas plasma region to be dissociated and excited. Using this technique, analysis can be made with reduced sample pretreatment, and therefore a rapid analysis can be performed efficiently. The results proved that the signal to noise ratio (S/N) of the emission spectral lines is much better for the case of the present method (mesh method) compared to the case of standard laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using the pellet method. Rapid detection of heavy metal elements in soil has been successfully carried out. The detection limits of Cu and Hg in soil were estimated to be 3 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. The present method has good potential for rapid and sensitive detection of heavy metals in soil samples.

Plasma cutting or laser cutting. Plasma setsudan ka laser setsudan ka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakamura, A. (Tanaka Engineering Works Ltd., Saitama (Japan))

1991-05-01

Comparisons and discussions were made on the plasma cutting and laser cutting in sheet steel cutting, referring partly to gas cutting. Historically, the cutting has been developed from gas, plasma, and laser in that order, and currently these three methods are used mixedly. Generally, the plasma cutting is superior in cutting speed, but inferior in cut face quality, and it requires measures of dust collection. Due to high accuracy and quality in cut face, the laser cutting has been practically used for quite some time in the thin sheet industry, but medium to thick sheet cutting had a problem of unavailability of high output laser suitable for these ranges. However, the recent technologies have overcome the problem as a result of development at the authors {prime} company of a 2 kW class laser cutter capable of cutting 19 mm thick sheet. The cutter has been proven being particularly excellent in controllability. Choice of whether plasma or laser would depend upon which priority is to be taken, cost or accuracy. 15 figs., 3 tabs.

Laser-heated emissive plasma probe.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrittwieser, Roman; Ionita, Codrina; Balan, Petru; Gstrein, Ramona; Grulke, Olaf; Windisch, Thomas; Brandt, Christian; Klinger, Thomas; Madani, Ramin; Amarandei, George; Sarma, Arun K

2008-08-01

Emissive probes are standard tools in laboratory plasmas for the direct determination of the plasma potential. Usually they consist of a loop of refractory wire heated by an electric current until sufficient electron emission. Recently emissive probes were used also for measuring the radial fluctuation-induced particle flux and other essential parameters of edge turbulence in magnetized toroidal hot plasmas [R. Schrittwieser et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 50, 055004 (2008)]. We have developed and investigated various types of emissive probes, which were heated by a focused infrared laser beam. Such a probe has several advantages: higher probe temperature without evaporation or melting and thus higher emissivity and longer lifetime, no deformation of the probe in a magnetic field, no potential drop along the probe wire, and faster time response. The probes are heated by an infrared diode laser with 808 nm wavelength and an output power up to 50 W. One probe was mounted together with the lens system on a radially movable probe shaft, and radial profiles of the plasma potential and of its oscillations were measured in a linear helicon discharge.

Laser-heated emissive plasma probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schrittwieser, Roman; Ionita, Codrina; Balan, Petru; Gstrein, Ramona; Grulke, Olaf; Windisch, Thomas; Brandt, Christian; Klinger, Thomas; Madani, Ramin; Amarandei, George; Sarma, Arun K.

2008-01-01

Emissive probes are standard tools in laboratory plasmas for the direct determination of the plasma potential. Usually they consist of a loop of refractory wire heated by an electric current until sufficient electron emission. Recently emissive probes were used also for measuring the radial fluctuation-induced particle flux and other essential parameters of edge turbulence in magnetized toroidal hot plasmas [R. Schrittwieser et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 50, 055004 (2008)]. We have developed and investigated various types of emissive probes, which were heated by a focused infrared laser beam. Such a probe has several advantages: higher probe temperature without evaporation or melting and thus higher emissivity and longer lifetime, no deformation of the probe in a magnetic field, no potential drop along the probe wire, and faster time response. The probes are heated by an infrared diode laser with 808 nm wavelength and an output power up to 50 W. One probe was mounted together with the lens system on a radially movable probe shaft, and radial profiles of the plasma potential and of its oscillations were measured in a linear helicon discharge

Laser-heated emissive plasma probe

Science.gov (United States)

Schrittwieser, Roman; Ionita, Codrina; Balan, Petru; Gstrein, Ramona; Grulke, Olaf; Windisch, Thomas; Brandt, Christian; Klinger, Thomas; Madani, Ramin; Amarandei, George; Sarma, Arun K.

2008-08-01

Emissive probes are standard tools in laboratory plasmas for the direct determination of the plasma potential. Usually they consist of a loop of refractory wire heated by an electric current until sufficient electron emission. Recently emissive probes were used also for measuring the radial fluctuation-induced particle flux and other essential parameters of edge turbulence in magnetized toroidal hot plasmas [R. Schrittwieser et al., Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 50, 055004 (2008)]. We have developed and investigated various types of emissive probes, which were heated by a focused infrared laser beam. Such a probe has several advantages: higher probe temperature without evaporation or melting and thus higher emissivity and longer lifetime, no deformation of the probe in a magnetic field, no potential drop along the probe wire, and faster time response. The probes are heated by an infrared diode laser with 808nm wavelength and an output power up to 50W. One probe was mounted together with the lens system on a radially movable probe shaft, and radial profiles of the plasma potential and of its oscillations were measured in a linear helicon discharge.

Precise alignment of the collection fiber assisted by real-time plasma imaging in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Motto-Ros, V., E-mail: vincent.motto-ros@univ-lyon1.fr [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR 5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex (France); Negre, E. [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR 5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex (France); CRITT Matériaux Alsace, 19, rue de St Junien, 67305 Schiltigheim (France); Pelascini, F. [CRITT Matériaux Alsace, 19, rue de St Junien, 67305 Schiltigheim (France); Panczer, G.; Yu, J. [Institut Lumière Matière, UMR 5306 Université Lyon 1-CNRS, Université de Lyon, 69622 Villeurbanne cedex (France)

2014-02-01

Improving the repeatability and the reproducibility of measurement with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is one of the actual challenging issues faced by the technique to fit the requirements of precise and accurate quantitative analysis. Among the numerous factors influencing the measurement stability in short and long terms, there are shot-to-shot and day-to-day fluctuations of the morphology of the plasma. Such fluctuations are due to the high sensitivity of laser-induced plasma to experimental conditions including properties of the sample, the laser parameters as well as properties of the ambient gas. In this paper, we demonstrate that precise alignment of the optical fiber for the collection of the plasma emission with respect to the actual morphology of the plasma assisted by real-time imaging, greatly improves the stability of LIBS measurements in short as well as in long terms. The used setup is based on a plasma imaging arrangement using a CCD camera and a real-time image processing. The obtained plasma image is displayed in a 2-dimensional frame where the position of the optical fiber is beforehand calibrated. In addition, the setup provides direct sample surface monitoring, which allows a precise control of the distance between the focusing lens and the sample surface. Test runs with a set of 8 reference samples show very high determination coefficient for calibration curves (R{sup 2} = 0.9999), and a long term repeatability and reproducibility of 4.6% (relative standard deviation) over a period of 3 months without any signal normalization. The capacity of the system to automatically correct the sample surface position for a tilted or non-regular sample surface during a surface mapping measurement is also demonstrated. - Highlights: • Automated alignment of the collection fiber by real-time plasma imaging • High level control of experimental parameters in LIBS experiments • Improvement of the short and long term stability in LIBS

Precise alignment of the collection fiber assisted by real-time plasma imaging in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motto-Ros, V.; Negre, E.; Pelascini, F.; Panczer, G.; Yu, J.

2014-01-01

Improving the repeatability and the reproducibility of measurement with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is one of the actual challenging issues faced by the technique to fit the requirements of precise and accurate quantitative analysis. Among the numerous factors influencing the measurement stability in short and long terms, there are shot-to-shot and day-to-day fluctuations of the morphology of the plasma. Such fluctuations are due to the high sensitivity of laser-induced plasma to experimental conditions including properties of the sample, the laser parameters as well as properties of the ambient gas. In this paper, we demonstrate that precise alignment of the optical fiber for the collection of the plasma emission with respect to the actual morphology of the plasma assisted by real-time imaging, greatly improves the stability of LIBS measurements in short as well as in long terms. The used setup is based on a plasma imaging arrangement using a CCD camera and a real-time image processing. The obtained plasma image is displayed in a 2-dimensional frame where the position of the optical fiber is beforehand calibrated. In addition, the setup provides direct sample surface monitoring, which allows a precise control of the distance between the focusing lens and the sample surface. Test runs with a set of 8 reference samples show very high determination coefficient for calibration curves (R 2 = 0.9999), and a long term repeatability and reproducibility of 4.6% (relative standard deviation) over a period of 3 months without any signal normalization. The capacity of the system to automatically correct the sample surface position for a tilted or non-regular sample surface during a surface mapping measurement is also demonstrated. - Highlights: • Automated alignment of the collection fiber by real-time plasma imaging • High level control of experimental parameters in LIBS experiments • Improvement of the short and long term stability in LIBS measurements

Laser beam-plasma plume interaction during laser welding

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Jacek; Moscicki, Tomasz; Szymanski, Zygmunt

2003-10-01

Laser welding process is unstable because the keyhole wall performs oscillations which results in the oscillations of plasma plume over the keyhole mouth. The characteristic frequencies are equal to 0.5-4 kHz. Since plasma plume absorbs and refracts laser radiation, plasma oscillations modulate the laser beam before it reaches the workpiece. In this work temporary electron densities and temperatures are determined in the peaks of plasma bursts during welding with a continuous wave CO2 laser. It has been found that during strong bursts the plasma plume over the keyhole consists of metal vapour only, being not diluted by the shielding gas. As expected the values of electron density are about two times higher in peaks than their time-averaged values. Since the plasma absorption coefficient scales as ~N2e/T3/2 (for CO2 laser radiation) the results show that the power of the laser beam reaching the metal surface is modulated by the plasma plume oscillations. The attenuation factor equals 4-6% of the laser power but it is expected that it is doubled by the refraction effect. The results, together with the analysis of the colour pictures from streak camera, allow also interpretation of the dynamics of the plasma plume.

Fast photography of XeCl laser-induced plasma of graphite in vacuum and in nitrogen atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acquaviva, S; De Giorgi, M L

2003-01-01

Fast photography with a gated intensified close-coupled device camera was applied to provide a visualization of the temporal and spatial evolution of chemical species in a plasma induced by a 308 nm laser during graphite ablation, in vacuum and in nitrogen atmosphere. A sequence of frames of the luminous plume was recorded, using narrow interference filters, and plasma expansion velocity was estimated from the acquired images. Present observations agree with optical emission spectroscopic investigations performed under the same experimental conditions

Effect of an ultrafast laser induced plasma on a relativistic electron beam to determine temporal overlap in pump-probe experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Scoby, Cheyne M; Li, R K; Musumeci, P

2013-04-01

In this paper we report on a simple and robust method to measure the absolute temporal overlap of the laser and the electron beam at the sample based on the effect of a laser induced plasma on the electron beam transverse distribution, successfully extending a similar method from keV to MeV electron beams. By pumping a standard copper TEM grid to form the plasma, we gain timing information independent of the sample under study. In experiments discussed here the optical delay to achieve temporal overlap between the pump electron beam and probe laser can be determined with ~1 ps precision. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced efficiency of plasma acceleration in the laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration scheme

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Badziak, J.; Rosinski, M.; Jabłonski, S.; Pisarczyk, T.; Chodukowski, T.; Parys, P.; Raczka, P.; Krouský, Eduard; Ullschmied, Jiří; Liska, R.; Kucharik, M.

2015-01-01

Roč. 57, č. 1 (2015), 014007 ISSN 0741-3335 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC528; GA MŠk LM2010014 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021 Keywords : laser ion acceleration * laser plasma * fast ignition * ion diagnostics * LICPA Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics; BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers (UFP-V) Impact factor: 2.404, year: 2015

Spectroscopic analysis of femtosecond laser-induced gas breakdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermann, J.; Bruneau, S.; Sentis, M.

2004-01-01

The plasma generated by the interaction of a femtosecond laser pulse with gas has been analyzed using time- and space-resolved emission spectroscopy. The laser beam has been focused with a microscope objective into different gases (air, Ar, He) at pressures ranging from 10 2 to 10 5 Pa. From the analysis of spectral line emission from ions and neutral atoms, the plasma parameters and the plasma composition have been determined as a function of time and space. Furthermore, the generation of fast electrons and/or VUV radiation by the femtosecond laser interaction with the gas was brought to the fore. From the time- and space-evolution of the plasma parameters, a rough estimation of initial values of electron density and refraction index in the focal volume has been performed. These results are compared to analysis of the laser beam transmitted by the plasma. The latter show that only a small fraction of the laser energy is absorbed by the plasma while the spatial distribution of the transmitted laser beam is strongly perturbed by the plasma, which acts like a defocusing lens. However, in ambient helium, the plasma defocusing is weak due to the high ionization potential of helium. The understanding of femtosecond laser-induced gas breakdown is useful for process optimization in femtosecond laser applications like micromachining or surface microanalysis, etc

Laser-induced plasmas in air studied using two-color interferometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Zefeng; Wu, Jian; Li, Xingwen; Han, Jiaxun; Jia, Shenli; Qiu, Aici; Wei, Wenfu

2016-01-01

Temporally and spatially resolved density profiles of Cu atoms, electrons, and compressed air, from laser-induced copper plasmas in air, are measured using fast spectral imaging and two-color interferometry. From the intensified CCD images filtered by a narrow-band-pass filter centered at 515.32 nm, the Cu atoms expansion route is estimated and used to determine the position of the fracture surface between the Cu atoms and the air. Results indicate that the Cu atoms density at distances closer to the target (0–0.4 mm) is quite low, with the maximum density appearing at the edge of the plasma's core being ∼4.6 × 10"2"4" m"−"3 at 304 ns. The free electrons are mainly located in the internal region of the plume, which is supposed to have a higher temperature. The density of the shock wave is (4–6) × 10"2"5" m"−"3, corresponding to air compression of a factor of 1.7–2.5.

Laser-induced plasmas in air studied using two-color interferometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zefeng; Wu, Jian, E-mail: jxjawj@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Li, Xingwen; Han, Jiaxun; Jia, Shenli; Qiu, Aici [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049 (China); Wei, Wenfu [School of Electrical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031 (China)

2016-08-15

Temporally and spatially resolved density profiles of Cu atoms, electrons, and compressed air, from laser-induced copper plasmas in air, are measured using fast spectral imaging and two-color interferometry. From the intensified CCD images filtered by a narrow-band-pass filter centered at 515.32 nm, the Cu atoms expansion route is estimated and used to determine the position of the fracture surface between the Cu atoms and the air. Results indicate that the Cu atoms density at distances closer to the target (0–0.4 mm) is quite low, with the maximum density appearing at the edge of the plasma's core being ∼4.6 × 10{sup 24 }m{sup −3} at 304 ns. The free electrons are mainly located in the internal region of the plume, which is supposed to have a higher temperature. The density of the shock wave is (4–6) × 10{sup 25 }m{sup −3}, corresponding to air compression of a factor of 1.7–2.5.

Investigations on laser induced nickel and titanium plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, M.K.U.; Latif, A.; Bhatti, K.A.; Rafique, M.S.; Yousaf, M.K.

2011-01-01

Experiments were performed to find out plasma parameters for Nickel and Titanium metals which were irradiated in air (1 atm) to produce plasma plume using Q switched Nd: YAG pulsed laser of 1.1 MW, 10 m J, 1064 nm and 9-14 ns. Langmuir probe was used as a diagnostic tool. The signals at different probe voltages were recorded on digital storage oscilloscope. The information carried by the signals was utilized to calculate electron density, electron temperature, Debye's length and number of particles in Debye's sphere. The study shows that the calculated values of these parameters for Nickel and Titanium are different except Debye's length. Plasma parameters strongly depend on probe potentials, material used and ambient conditions. (author)

Numerical and experimental investigation of laser induced plasma spectrum of aluminum in the presence of a noble gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezaei, Fatemeh; Tavassoli, Seyed Hassan

2012-01-01

Laser-induced plasma emission of an aluminum target in helium gas at 1 atm pressure is numerically and experimentally investigated. A laser pulse at wavelength of 266 nm and pulse duration of 10 ns has been considered. Laser ablation is calculated by a one dimensional model based on thermal evaporation mechanism. Spatial and temporal parameters of plasma expansion are determined by using hydrodynamic equations. Three kinds of plasma emission, including Bremsstrahlung, recombination and spectral emissions are considered for modeling the spectrum. Strong lines of aluminum and helium in wavelength interval of 200 to 450 nm are selected. Aluminum spectrum in UV range is depicted and compared with other spectral ranges. Temporal and spatial evolution of plasma emission up to 200 ns after the laser irradiation is studied. The effect of laser energy on the plasma spectrum is studied. An experimental set-up is arranged to compare numerical calculations with experimental results. Experimental and numerical results illustrate that helium line widths and peak intensities become narrower and weaker with time, respectively. Spatial distribution of spectrum shows that for closer distance to the sample surface, an intense continuous emission is observed, while at the farther distance, continuous emission decreases and spectral lines become sharper. A good coincidence is observed between experimental and numerical results. - Highlights: ► Aluminum plasma emission in helium is numerically and experimentally studied. ► Spectral, Bremsstrahlung and recombination emissions in spectrum are calculated. ► All strong lines of aluminum and helium are chosen for spectrum simulation. ► Line widths and peak intensities at later times become narrower and weaker. ► At specific optimum position, the maximum of signal peaks is acquired.

Time-Resolved Spectroscopy Diagnostic of Laser-Induced Optical Breakdown

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian G. Parigger

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Transient laser plasma is generated in laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB. Here we report experiments conducted with 10.6-micron CO2 laser radiation, and with 1.064-micron fundamental, 0.532-micron frequency-doubled, 0.355-micron frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser radiation. Characterization of laser induced plasma utilizes laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS techniques. Atomic hydrogen Balmer series emissions show electron number density of 1017 cm−3 measured approximately 10 μs and 1 μs after optical breakdown for CO2 and Nd:YAG laser radiation, respectively. Recorded molecular recombination emission spectra of CN and C2 Swan bands indicate an equilibrium temperature in excess of 7000 Kelvin, inferred for these diatomic molecules. Reported are also graphite ablation experiments where we use unfocused laser radiation that is favorable for observation of neutral C3 emission due to reduced C3 cation formation. Our analysis is based on computation of diatomic molecular spectra that includes accurate determination of rotational line strengths, or Hönl-London factors.

Study of a recombination X-ray laser scheme in a H-like nitrogen plasma created by optical field induced ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hulin, S.

2001-01-01

Thanks to their high brightness and short wavelength, X ray lasers are interesting diagnostics in many experiments because they can efficiently probe dense plasmas. Furthermore their mono-chromaticity and collimation make them interesting tools in plasma physics but also in many biology or chemistry experiments. The effective use of this diagnostic is mainly depending on its dimensions and cost. For this reason, research on X ray laser is now focused on the reduction of cost and the realization of table-top facilities. One of these research axis, based on the optical field induced ionization (OFI) of the plasma, is presented in this work. An ultra-short (60 fs) high-brightness (10 19 W/cm 2 ) Ti:Sapphire (790 nm) laser is focused into a nitrogen pulsed gas jet. A dense (10 20 cm -3 ) plasma of fully stripped nitrogen is created by the way. During the fast recombination of the plasma some population inversions between levels of principal quantum number 2 and 1 (2.4 nm) and 3 and 2 (13.4 nm) can occur depending on the plasma parameters. The creation of the plasma by OFI, laser-plasma interaction dominated by relativistic self-focusing, and recombination dynamics are studied by numerical simulations on one hand and experiments on the other hand. Temperature measurements and numerical simulations show a strong heating, destructive for the laser scheme, which can be explained by Raman instability growing. Nevertheless plasma X ray emission in the 2-20 nm range show a strong increase with the electronic density of the 13.4 nm line intensity. This behavior is consistent with a laser effect but is not detected on the 2.4 nm transition line. (author)

Spatial diagnostics of the laser induced lithium fluoride plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baig, M. A.; Qamar, Aisha; Fareed, M. A.; Anwar-ul-Haq, M.; Ali, Raheel [Atomic and Molecular Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320 Islamabad (Pakistan)

2012-06-15

We present spatial characteristics of the lithium fluoride plasma generated by the fundamental and second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser. The plume emission has been recorded spatially using five spectrometers covering the spectral region from 200 nm to 720 nm. The electron density is measured from the Stark broadened line profile of the line at 610.37 nm, whereas the plasma temperature has been determined using the Boltzmann plot method including all the observed spectral lines of lithium. Both the plasma parameters; electron density and plasma temperature decrease with the increase of the distance from the target surface. The thermal conduction towards the target, the radiative cooling of the plasma, and the conversion of thermal energy into kinetic energy are the main mechanisms responsible for the spatially decrease of the plasma parameters.

Atomic hydrogen and diatomic titanium-monoxide molecular spectroscopy in laser-induced plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Parigger, Christian G.; Woods, Alexander C.

2017-03-01

This article gives a brief review of experimental studies of hydrogen Balmer series emission spectra. Ongoing research aims to evaluate early plasma evolution following optical breakdown in laboratory air. Of interest is as well laser ablation of metallic titanium and characterization of plasma evolution. Emission of titanium monoxide is discussed together with modeling of diatomic spectra to infer temperature. The behavior of titanium particles in plasma draws research interests ranging from the modeling of stellar atmospheres to the enhancement of thin film production via pulsed laser deposition.

Simulation of primary processes for laser-induced plasma by short laser pulses in KDP crystal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gayet, R.; Jequier, S.; Bachau, H.; Rodriguez, V.; Duchateau, G.; Dyan, A.; Mathis, H.

2006-01-01

Complete test of publication follows. A theoretical approach designed for the description of local micro-plasma formation induced by short laser pulses in KH 2 PO 4 (KDP) crystal is addressed. Indeed, when such a crystal is illuminated by short pulses, the early stage of photo-production, enhanced by local defects, leads to a subsequent strong electronic absorption revealing a transient metallic-like behavior. The lattice then is rapidly heated up by electron-phonon coupling at temperature as high as 10000 K. This results in the local formation of a micro-plasma whose initial electronic energy distribution, which can be used in Particle-In-Cell codes, may be predicted by the present approach. The latter includes both, electron promotion from the valence band to the conduction band, and the subsequent interaction with phonons and photons. The electron promotion is described by a theoretical method based on Coulomb-Volkov (CV) wave functions whereas the electron diffusion in the conduction band is described by the standard Boltzmann's formalism. Although results about diffusion are shown, the present work focuses on the photo-production step. Hence, an extension of a previous theory, which has been developed essentially to describe ionization of atoms or molecules by intense femtosecond laser pulses, in under way. The first theory gives reliable predictions whenever both, (i) the photon energy is greater than the ionization potential, and (ii) perturbation conditions prevail. The restriction (i) prevents from intermediate state contribution to the ionization mechanism. The CV approach has been improved by introducing these states in the initial wave function, thus leading to an excellent agreement with predictions based on a full numerical solution to the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. Further, keeping the restriction (i), one can discard the condition (ii) by introducing a time-dependent initial state population in a CV approach. Since defects induce

A possibility of local measurements of ion temperature in a high-temperature plasma by laser induced ionization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kantor, M

2012-01-01

A new diagnostic for local measurements of ion temperature and drift velocity in fusion plasmas is proposed in the paper. The diagnostic is based on laser induced ionization of excited hydrogen and deuterium atoms from the levels which ionization energy less than the laser photon energy. A high intensive laser beam ionizes nearly all the excited atoms in the beam region resulting in a quench of spontaneous line emission of the appropriate optical transitions. The measurements of the quenching emission have been used in the past for local measurements of hydrogen atom density in tokamak plasma. The idea of the new diagnostic is spectral resolution of the quenching emission. The measured spectrum relates directly to the velocity distribution of the excited atoms. This distribution is strongly coupled to the distribution of the hydrogen atoms at the ground state. So, the spectral resolution of quenching emission is a way of local measurements of the temperature and drift velocity of hydrogen atoms in plasma. The temperature of hydrogen atoms is well coupled to the local ion temperature as long as the mean free path of the atoms is shorter than the ion gradient length in plasma. In this case the new diagnostic can provide local measurements of ion temperature in plasma. The paper considers technical capabilities of the diagnostic, physical restrictions of its application and interpretation of the measurements.

DNA strand breaks induced by soft X-ray pulses from a compact laser plasma source

Science.gov (United States)

Adjei, Daniel; Wiechec, Anna; Wachulak, Przemyslaw; Ayele, Mesfin Getachew; Lekki, Janusz; Kwiatek, Wojciech M.; Bartnik, Andrzej; Davídková, Marie; Vyšín, Luděk; Juha, Libor; Pina, Ladislav; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

2016-03-01

Application of a compact laser plasma source of soft X-rays in radiobiology studies is demonstrated. The source is based on a laser produced plasma as a result of irradiation of a double-stream gas puff target with nanosecond laser pulses from a commercially available Nd:YAG laser. The source allows irradiation of samples with soft X-ray pulses in the "water window" spectral range (wavelength: 2.3-4.4 nm; photon energy: 280-560 eV) in vacuum or a helium atmosphere at very high-dose rates and doses exceeding the kGy level. Single-strand breaks (SSB) and double-strand breaks (DBS) induced in DNA plasmids pBR322 and pUC19 have been measured. The different conformations of the plasmid DNA were separated by agarose gel electrophoresis. An exponential decrease in the supercoiled form with an increase in linear and relaxed forms of the plasmids has been observed as a function of increasing photon fluence. Significant difference between SSB and DSB in case of wet and dry samples was observed that is connected with the production of free radicals in the wet sample by soft X-ray photons and subsequent affecting the plasmid DNA. Therefore, the new source was validated to be useful for radiobiology experiments.

Influence of the distance between target surface and focal point on the expansion dynamics of a laser-induced silicon plasma with spatial confinement

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dan; Chen, Anmin; Wang, Xiaowei; Wang, Ying; Sui, Laizhi; Ke, Da; Li, Suyu; Jiang, Yuanfei; Jin, Mingxing

2018-05-01

Expansion dynamics of a laser-induced plasma plume, with spatial confinement, for various distances between the target surface and focal point were studied by the fast photography technique. A silicon wafer was ablated to induce the plasma with a Nd:YAG laser in an atmospheric environment. The expansion dynamics of the plasma plume depended on the distance between the target surface and focal point. In addition, spatially confined time-resolved images showed the different structures of the plasma plumes at different distances between the target surface and focal point. By analyzing the plume images, the optimal distance for emission enhancement was found to be approximately 6 mm away from the geometrical focus using a 10 cm focal length lens. This optimized distance resulted in the strongest compression ratio of the plasma plume by the reflected shock wave. Furthermore, the duration of the interaction between the reflected shock wave and the plasma plume was also prolonged.

Investigation on the spatial evolution of the emission spectra in laser-induced Ni plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du Chuanmei; Xu Ying; Zhang Mingxu

2012-01-01

In this paper, the spatial resolved emission spectrum of Ni atom in laser induced Ni plasma is measured in the wavelength region from 350 nm to 600 nm. The spatial evolution of the relative intensities and the Stark broadening of the 385.83 nm emission spectrum lines are also obtained. It is shown that Stark broadening and intensity of the spectrum lines increases firstly to its maximum and then de- creases along the direction of laser beam when the distance from the target surface is in the range from 0 to 2.5 mm. The maximum value of Stark broadening and relative intensity of the spectrum lines appear at 1.5 mm from the target surface. (authors)

Colour marking of transparent materials by laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation (LIPAA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, Yasutaka; Sugioka, Koji; Miyamoto, Iwao; Midorikawa, Katsumi

2007-01-01

We demonstrate colour marking of a transparent material using laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation (LIPAA) system. After the LIPAA process, metal thin film is deposited on the surface of the ablated groove. This feature is applied to RGB (red, green and blue) colour marking by using specific metal targets. The metal targets, for instance, are Pb 3 O 4 for red, Cr 2 O 3 for green and [Cu(C 32 H 15 ClN 8 )] for blue colour marking. Additionally, adhesion of the metal thin film deposited on the processed groove by various experimental conditions is investigated

An experimental investigation on the properties of laser-induced plasma emission spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Xiaoshuan; Li Chunyan; Ji Xuehan; Feng Eryin; Cui Zhifeng

2004-01-01

The authors have measured the time-resolved emission spectra produced by Nd: YAG laser induced Al plasma with different kinds of buffer gas (He, Ar, N 2 and Air). The dependence of emission spectra line intensity and Stark broadening on the time delay, kinds and pressure of buffer gas are studied. The results show that the atomic emission line intensity reaches maximum at 3 μs time delay, the Stark broadening increases with increasing the pressure of buffer gas, and decreases with increasing time delay. The Stark broadening in Ar buffer gas is largest among the four different kinds of buffer gas. (author)

7. Lasers and plasmas forum - ILP 2015 Forum. Book of abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mora, P.; Le Marec, A.; Ferri, S.; Corde, S.; Ceccotti, T.; Dozieres, M.; Pariente, G.; Azamoum, Y.; Cheriaux, G.; Baccou, C.; Romagnani, L.; Ravasio, A.; Masson-Laborde, P.E.; Laffite, S.; Neuville, C.; Casner, A.; Debayle, A.; Lobet, M.; Cosse, P.; Falize, E.; Taieb, R.; Rozmus, W.; Colaitis, A.; Boutoux, G.; Llor Aisa, E.; Ducret, J.E.; Le Pennec, M.; Barbrel, B.; Rouan, D.; Smets, R.; Seisson, G.; Boyer, S.; Massacrier, G.; Harmand, M.; Jacquemot, S.; Adam, J.C.; Boutoux, G.; Busquet, M.; Bychenkov, V. Yu.; Castan, A.; Chatagnier, A.; Chiaramello, M.; Debayle, A.; Deschaud, Basil; Do, A.; Fedeli, L.; Ferri, J.; Gangolf, T.; Gilles, D.; Vallet, A.; D'Humieres, E.; Khiar, B.; Grassi, A.; Hadj-Bachir, M.; Lee, P.; Lobet, M.; Loiseau, P.; Maitrallain, A.; Masson-Laborde, P.E.; Mollica, F.; Moreau, J.G.; Nicolas, Loic; Pain, J.-C.; Penninckx, D.; Riconda, C.; Ruyer, C.; Soleilhac, A.; Van Box Som, L.

2015-06-01

List of oral presentation abstracts: Effect of XUV lasers partial coherence on the characterization of their spectral properties; Study of ionization potential lowering and other statistical properties of coupled plasmas using numerical simulation and classical molecular dynamics; Plasma acceleration by particle beam; Electron acceleration by surface wave resonant excitation in relativistic regime; Optimization of a laser-generated X Ka source (Ti:Sa 10 TW - 100 Hz); Apollon 10 PW: description and status; The future of the research federation and of power laser facilities; Inertial confinement fusion and operation of 'rugby'-shape hohlraums; Chronometry and efficiency of direct attack implosion at OMEGA facility; Laser-plasma interaction physics in beam crossing configuration; NIF Discovery Science experiments for the study of the strongly nonlinear regime of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability; X opacity measurements in mid-Z dense plasmas with a new target design of indirect heating; Photoionization dynamics: Transition and scattering delays; Ion acceleration induced by laser-produced electrostatic shocks; Electron Transport and Related Non-equilibrium Distribution Functions in Hot Large Scale ICF Plasmas; Rate optimization of neutron-less fusion reactions initiated by laser-accelerated protons; Nonlinear laser-plasma interactions modeling at hydrodynamic scales: application to beam crossing energy exchange; Evolution of a Sedov-Taylor blast-wave: radiative, nonlocal heat transport and field effects; Measuring ultra-intense laser beams in space time; A few applications of the radiative and quantum electrodynamics effects in future extreme-intensity laser-matter experiments; X-rays imaging diagnostics for PETAL; Laboratory Astrophysics with High Power Lasers; Femto-second electron dynamics in the Warm dense Matter; The extra-solar planets; Study of HEDP magnetic reconnection; Opacity of solar-type stars inside: what (un)certainties?; Validation of solar

Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of argon ion velocities near the sheath boundary of an argon-xenon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Dongsoo; Severn, Greg; Oksuz, Lutfi; Hershkowitz, Noah

2006-01-01

The Bohm sheath criterion in single- and two-ion species plasma is studied with laser-induced fluorescence using a diode laser. Xenon is added to a low pressure unmagnetized dc hot filament argon discharge confined by surface multidipole magnetic fields. The Ar II transition at 668.614 nm is adopted for optical pumping to detect the fluorescence from the plasma and to measure the argon ion velocity distribution functions with respect to positions relative to a negatively biased boundary plate. The structures of the plasma sheath and presheath are measured by an emissive probe. The ion concentrations of the two-species in the bulk plasma are calculated from ion acoustic wave experiments. Results are compared with previous experiments of Ar-He plasmas in which the argon ions were the heavier ion species. Unlike the previous results, the argon speed is slower than its own Bohm velocity near the sheath-presheath boundary in the Ar-Xe plasma where argon ions are the lighter ion species. We argue that this result is consistent with the behaviour of the helium ion required by the generalized Bohm criterion in the previous experiments with Ar-He plasmas. Further, our results suggest that the measured argon ion speed approaches the ion sound speed of the system

Numerical and experimental investigation of laser induced plasma spectrum of aluminum in the presence of a noble gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rezaei, Fatemeh, E-mail: f_rezaei@sbu.ac.ir; Tavassoli, Seyed Hassan

2012-12-01

Laser-induced plasma emission of an aluminum target in helium gas at 1 atm pressure is numerically and experimentally investigated. A laser pulse at wavelength of 266 nm and pulse duration of 10 ns has been considered. Laser ablation is calculated by a one dimensional model based on thermal evaporation mechanism. Spatial and temporal parameters of plasma expansion are determined by using hydrodynamic equations. Three kinds of plasma emission, including Bremsstrahlung, recombination and spectral emissions are considered for modeling the spectrum. Strong lines of aluminum and helium in wavelength interval of 200 to 450 nm are selected. Aluminum spectrum in UV range is depicted and compared with other spectral ranges. Temporal and spatial evolution of plasma emission up to 200 ns after the laser irradiation is studied. The effect of laser energy on the plasma spectrum is studied. An experimental set-up is arranged to compare numerical calculations with experimental results. Experimental and numerical results illustrate that helium line widths and peak intensities become narrower and weaker with time, respectively. Spatial distribution of spectrum shows that for closer distance to the sample surface, an intense continuous emission is observed, while at the farther distance, continuous emission decreases and spectral lines become sharper. A good coincidence is observed between experimental and numerical results. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Aluminum plasma emission in helium is numerically and experimentally studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Spectral, Bremsstrahlung and recombination emissions in spectrum are calculated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer All strong lines of aluminum and helium are chosen for spectrum simulation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Line widths and peak intensities at later times become narrower and weaker. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer At specific optimum position, the maximum of signal peaks is acquired.

Nanoparticle Enhanced Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy: Effect of nanoparticles deposited on sample surface on laser ablation and plasma emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Giacomo, A.; Gaudiuso, R.; Koral, C.; Dell'Aglio, M.; De Pascale, O.

2014-01-01

In this paper the use of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) for improving Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is discussed. In the case of conductors an emission signal enhancement up to 1–2 orders of magnitude was obtained depositing NPs on the sample surface by drying a micro-drop of colloidal solution. The basic mechanisms of Nanoparticle Enhanced LIBS (NELIBS) were studied and the main causes of this significantly large enhancement were found to be related to the effect of NPs on the laser ablation process, in terms of a faster and more efficient production of seed electrons with respect to conventional LIBS. The characteristics of NELIBS-produced plasma were investigated by emission spectroscopy and spectrally resolved images. In spite of similar plasma parameters, the NELIBS plasma was found to have larger emission volume and longer persistence than the LIBS one. A method to determine NP concentration and size was also proposed, which involved depositing NPs on non-interacting substrates, and proved the feasibility of LIBS as a fast detection tool for a preliminary characterization of NPs. - Highlights: • Effect of NPs on sample surface enables instantaneous field emission. • More efficient ablation • LIBS emission enhancement up to 1–2 orders of magnitude • Possibility of NP characterization in terms of concentration and size

Generation of electromagnetic pulses from plasma channels induced by femtosecond light strings

OpenAIRE

Cheng, Chung-Chieh; Wright, E. M.; Moloney, J. V.

2000-01-01

We present a model that elucidates the physics underlying the generation of an electromagnetic pulse from a femtosecond laser induced plasma channel. The radiation pressure force from the laser pulse spatially separates the ionized electrons from the heavier ions and the induced dipole moment subsequently oscillates at the plasma frequency and radiates an electromagnetic pulse.

Measurement of the development and evolution of shock waves in a laser-induced gas breakdown plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chu, T.K.; Johnson, L.C.

1975-01-01

Space- and time-resolved interferometric measurements of electron density in CO 2 -laser produced plasmas in helium or hydrogen are made near the laser focal spot. Immediately after breakdown, a rapidly growing region of approximately uniform plasma density appears at the focal spot. After a few tens of nanoseconds, shock waves are formed, propagating both transverse and parallel to the incident laser beam direction. Behind the transverse propagating shock is an on-axis density minimum, which results in laser-beam self-trapping. The shock wave propagating toward the focusing lens effectively shields the interior plasma from the incident beam because the lower plasma temperature and higher plasma density in the shock allow strong absorption of the incident beam energy. By arranging the laser radiation-plasma interaction to begin at a plasma-vacuum interface at the exit of a free-expansion jet, this backward propagating shock wave is eliminated, thus permitting efficient energy deposition in the plasma interior

Mapping of lead, magnesium and copper accumulation in plant tissues by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaiser, J. [Institute of Physical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 2896/2, 616 69 Brno (Czech Republic)], E-mail: kaiser@fme.vutbr.cz; Galiova, M.; Novotny, K.; Cervenka, R. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Reale, L. [Faculty of Sciences, University of L' Aquila, Via Vetoio (Coppito 1), 67010 L' Aquila (Italy); Novotny, J.; Liska, M.; Samek, O. [Institute of Physical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 2896/2, 616 69 Brno (Czech Republic); Kanicky, V.; Hrdlicka, A. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlarska 2, 611 37 Brno (Czech Republic); Stejskal, K.; Adam, V.; Kizek, R. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemedelska 1, 613 00 Brno (Czech Republic)

2009-01-15

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) were utilized for mapping the accumulation of Pb, Mg and Cu with a resolution up to 200 {mu}m in a up to cm x cm area of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaves. The results obtained by LIBS and LA-ICP-MS are compared with the outcomes from Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC). It is shown that laser-ablation based analytical methods can substitute or supplement these techniques mainly in the cases when a fast multi-elemental mapping of a large sample area is needed.

A rate-equation model for polarized laser-induced fluorescence to measure electric field in glow discharge He plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takiyama, K.; Watanabe, M.; Oda, T.

1998-01-01

Possibility of applying polarized laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy for measuring the electric field in a plasma with a large collisional depolarization has been investigated. A rate equation model including the depolarization process was employed to analyze the time evolution of LIF polarization components. The polarized LIF pulse shapes observed in the sheath of a He glow discharge plasma were successfully reproduced, and the electric field distribution was obtained with high accuracy. (author)

Laser dynamics in transversely inhomogeneous plasma and its relevance to wakefield acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, V. B.; Vieira, J.; Silva, L. O.; Nam, Chang Hee

2018-05-01

We present full set of coupled equations describing the weakly relativistic dynamics of a laser in a plasma with transverse inhomogeneity. We apply variational principle approach to obtain these coupled equations governing laser spot-size, transverse wavenumber, curvature, transverse centroid, etc. We observe that such plasma inhomogeneity can lead to stronger self-focusing. We further discuss the guiding conditions of laser in parabolic plasma channels. With the help of multi-dimensional particle in cell simulations the study is extended to the blowout regime of laser wakefield acceleration to show laser as well as self-injected electron bunch steering in plasma to generate unconventional particle trajectories. Our simulation results demonstrate that such transverse inhomogeneities due to asymmetric self focusing lead to asymmetric bubble excitation, thus inducing off-axis self-injection.

Study of multicharged ions in the laser-produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaegle, P.; Carillon, A.; Jamelot, G.; Wehenkel, C.; Sureau, A.; Guennou, H.

1980-01-01

With respect to hot plasmas, laser induced plasmas have an especially high density, with a steep partial gradient and a fast temporal variation of temperature and density. The study of multicharged ion radiation, wich is necessary to perform diagnostics of plasma parameters, opens a new field for atomic physics investigations, including identification of peculiar lines, which are not observed in other conditions, large changes in line profiles due to radiative transfer and to both shift and broadening by Stark effect. Departure from population equilibrium takes place in these plasmas, going possibly so far as population inversion between ionic levels in an energy range covering EUV and soft X-rays. Experimental and theoretical study of these phenomena are in progress and needs to find solutions for complicated problems. Here, recent works performed with the laser of the GRECO 'Interaction Laser-Matiere' are briefly presented [fr

Curves of growth of spectral lines emitted by a laser-induced plasma: influence of the temporal evolution and spatial inhomogeneity of the plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguilera, J.A.; Bengoechea, J.; Aragon, C. E-mail: carlos.aragon@unavarra.es

2003-02-03

The curves of growth (COG) of five Fe I lines emitted from a laser-induced plasma, generated with Fe-Ni alloys in air at atmospheric pressure, have been investigated. Spectral lines with different energy levels and line widths, emitted with a broad range of optical depths, have been included in the study in order to check the validity of theoretical models proposed for COG generation, based in the radiative transfer within a plasma in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The COGs have been measured at time windows of 4-5 {mu}s and 15-18 {mu}s. The Stark widths of the Fe I lines have been obtained, and the line widths have been determined by measuring the plasma electron density at the time windows selected. It is shown that at a time window of 4-5 {mu}s, the inhomogeneity of the plasma magnitudes has an important influence on the COGs of intense lines. For this time window, a two-region model of the plasma has been used to generate theoretical COGs that describe satisfactorily the experimental curves of all the lines using a single set of plasma parameters. The results reveal the existence of considerable gradients between the inner and the outer plasma regions in the temperature (9400-7800 K) and in the density of Fe atoms (4x10{sup 16}-0.02x10{sup 16} cm{sup -3} for a sample with 100% Fe). On the contrary, at the time window 15-18 {mu}s, at which the plasma has suffered most of its expansion and cooling process, the COGs of all the lines may be described by a single-region model, corresponding to a plasma with uniform temperature (6700 K) and density of Fe atoms (0.06x10{sup 16} cm{sup -3} for a sample with 100% Fe). It is also shown that at initial times, the plasma inhomogeneity has an important effect in the line profiles of intense spectral lines, which are described by using the two-region model of the laser-induced plasma.

Measurements of egg shell plasma parameters using laser-induced ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In LIBS, a high-intensity laser is focussed onto the sample, which is strong ... Compared to the production of plasma, qualitative and quantitative analyses are ... In this paper, the elemental composition of the egg shell crushed to a size of about.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurement of a small fraction of rhenium in bulk tungsten

Science.gov (United States)

Nishijima, D.; Ueda, Y.; Doerner, R. P.; Baldwin, M. J.; Ibano, K.

2018-03-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) of bulk rhenium (Re) and tungsten (W)-Re alloy has been performed using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (wavelength = 1064 nm, pulse width ∼4-6 ns, laser energy = 115 mJ). It is found that the electron temperature, Te, of laser-induced Re plasma is lower than that of W plasma, and that Te of W-Re plasma is in between Re and W plasmas. This indicates that material properties affect Te in a laser-induced plasma. For analysis of W-3.3%Re alloy, only the strongest visible Re I 488.9 nm line is found to be used because of the strong enough intensity without contamination with W lines. Using the calibration-free LIBS method, the atomic fraction of Re, cRe, is evaluated as a function of the ambient Ar gas pressure, PAr. At PAr 10 Torr due to spectral overlapping of the Re I 488.9 nm line by an Ar II 488.9 nm line.

Excitation mechanisms in 1 mJ picosecond laser induced low pressure He plasma and the resulting spectral quality enhancement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Idris, Nasrullah; Lahna, Kurnia; Abdulmadjid, Syahrun Nur [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, NAD (Indonesia); Ramli, Muliadi [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Syiah Kuala University, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, NAD (Indonesia); Suyanto, Hery [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Udayana University, Kampus Bukit Jimbaran, Denpasar 80361, Bali (Indonesia); Marpaung, Alion Mangasi [Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Jakarta State University, 10 Rawamangun, Jakarta (Indonesia); Pardede, Marincan [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Pelita Harapan, 1100 M.H. Thamrin Boulevard, Lippo Village, Tangerang 15811 (Indonesia); Jobiliong, Eric [Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Pelita Harapan, 1100 M.H. Thamrin Boulevard, Lippo Village, Tangerang 15811 (Indonesia); Hedwig, Rinda; Lie, Zener Sukra [Department of Computer Engineering, Bina Nusantara University, 9 K.H. Syahdan, Jakarta 14810 (Indonesia); Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40/80 Srengseng Raya, Jakarta 11630 (Indonesia); Suliyanti, Maria Margaretha [Research Center for Physics, Indonesia Institute of Sciences, Kawasan PUSPIPTEK, Serpong, Tangerang Selatan 15314, Banten (Indonesia); Lie, Tjung Jie; Kurniawan, Koo Hendrik, E-mail: kurnia18@cbn.net.id [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40/80 Srengseng Raya, Jakarta 11630 (Indonesia); Kagawa, Kiichiro [Fukui Science Education Academy, Takagi Chuou 2 choume, Fukui 910-0804 (Japan); Tjia, May On [Research Center of Maju Makmur Mandiri Foundation, 40/80 Srengseng Raya, Jakarta 11630 (Indonesia); Physics of Magnetism and Photonics Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, 10 Ganesha, Bandung 40132 (Indonesia)

2015-06-14

We report in this paper the results of an experimental study on the spectral and dynamical characteristics of plasma emission induced by 1 mJ picoseconds (ps) Nd-YAG laser using spatially resolved imaging and time resolved measurement of the emission intensities of copper sample. This study has provided the experimental evidence concerning the dynamical characteristics of the excitation mechanisms in various stages of the plasma formation, which largely consolidate the basic scenarios of excitation processes commonly accepted so far. However, it is also clearly shown that the duration of the shock wave excitation process induced by ps laser pulses is much shorter than those observed in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy employing nanosecond laser at higher output energy. This allows the detection of atomic emission due exclusively to He assisted excitation in low pressure He plasma by proper gating of the detection time. Furthermore, the triplet excited state associated with He I 587.6 nm is shown to be the one most likely involved in the process responsible for the excellent spectral quality as evidenced by its application to spectrochemical analysis of a number of samples. The use of very low energy laser pulses also leads to minimal destructive effect marked by the resulted craters of merely about 10 μm diameter and only 10 nm deep. It is especially noteworthy that the excellent emission spectrum of deuterium detected from D-doped titanium sample is free of spectral interference from the undesirable ubiquitous water molecules without a precleaning procedure as applied previously and yielding an impressive detection limit of less than 10 μg/g. Finally, the result of this study also shows a promising application to depth profiling of impurity distribution in the sample investigated.

Correlation between grade of pearlite spheroidization and laser induced spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Shunchun; Dong, Meirong; Lu, Jidong; Li, Jun; Dong, Xuan

2013-12-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) which is used traditionally as a spectrochemical analytical technique was employed to analyze the grade of pearlite spheroidization. Three 12Cr1MoV steel specimens with different grades of pearlite spheroidization were ablated to produce plasma by pulse laser at 266 nm. In order to determine the optimal temporal condition and plasma parameters for correlating the grade of pearlite spheroidization and laser induced spectra, a set of spectra at different delays were analyzed by the principal component analysis method. Then, the relationship between plasma temperature, intensity ratios of ionic to atomic lines and grade of pearlite spheroidization was studied. The analysis results show that the laser induced spectra of different grades of pearlite spheroidization can be readily identifiable by principal component analysis in the range of 271.941-289.672 nm with 1000 ns delay time. It is also found that a good agreement exists between the Fe ionic to atomic line ratios and the tensile strength, whereas there is no obvious difference in the plasma temperature. Therefore, LIBS may be applied not only as a spectrochemical analytical technique but also as a new way to estimate the grade of pearlite spheroidization.

5. Laser plasma interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labaune, C.; Fuchs, J.; Bandulet, H.

2002-01-01

Imprint elimination, smoothing and preheat control are considerable problems in inertial fusion and their possible solution can be achieved by using low-density porous materials as a buffer in target design. The articles gathered in this document present various aspects of the laser-plasma interaction, among which we have noticed: -) numerical algorithmic improvements of the Vlasov solver toward the simulation of the laser-plasma interaction are proposed, -) the dependence of radiation temperatures and X-ray conversion efficiencies of hohlraum on the target structures and laser irradiation conditions are investigated, -) a study of laser interaction with ultra low-density (0,5 - 20 mg/cm 3 ) porous media analyzing backscattered light at incident laser frequency ω 0 and its harmonics 3*ω 0 /2 and 2*ω 0 is presented, -) investigations of laser interaction with solid targets and crater formation are carried out with the objective to determine the ablation loading efficiency, -) a self organization in an intense laser-driven plasma and the measure of the relative degree of order of the states in an open system based on the S-theorem are investigated, and -) the existence and stability of electromagnetic solitons generated in a relativistic interaction of an intense laser light with uniform under-dense cold plasma are studied

Analytical calculations of intense Gaussian laser beam propagating in plasmas with relativistic collision correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ying; Yuan Chengxun; Gao Ruilin; Zhou Zhongxiang

2012-01-01

Theoretical investigations of a Gaussian laser beam propagating in relativistic plasmas have been performed with the WKB method and complex eikonal function. We consider the relativistic nonlinearity induced by intense laser beam, and present the relativistically generalized forms of the plasma frequency and electron collision frequency in plasmas. The coupled differential equations describing the propagation variations of laser beam are derived and numerically solved. The obtained simulation results present the similar variation tendency with experiments. By changing the plasma density, we theoretically analyze the feasibility of using a plasmas slab of a fixed thickness to compress the laser beam-width and acquire the focused laser intensity. The present work complements the relativistic correction of the electron collision frequency with reasonable derivations, promotes the theoretical approaching to experiments and provides effective instructions to the practical laser-plasma interactions.

Relativistic and nonlinear radiation interaction between laser beams and plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, E.L.; Hora, H.

1981-01-01

Starting from a combination of Maxwell's laws for the electromagnetic field and the conservation equations for a fully ionized plasma, the appropriate equations describing electrodynamic laser propagation and plasma dynamic particle motion are developed and solved. Calculations for multiply ionized transient conditions are carried out to yield electric field amplitudes, radial electron number density distributions and the progress of formation of a self-focused beam filament as a function of the target plasma density distribution and the laser pulse power-time history, among other parameters. Separate solutions emphasizing field-induced plasma motion on the one hand and significant beam contraction on the other are illustrated

Laser-plasma interactions and applications

CERN Document Server

Neely, David; Bingham, Robert; Jaroszynski, Dino

2013-01-01

Laser-Plasma Interactions and Applications covers the fundamental and applied aspects of high power laser-plasma physics. With an internationally renowned team of authors, the book broadens the knowledge of young researchers working in high power laser-plasma science by providing them with a thorough pedagogical grounding in the interaction of laser radiation with matter, laser-plasma accelerators, and inertial confinement fusion. The text is organised such that the theoretical foundations of the subject are discussed first, in Part I. In Part II, topics in the area of high energy density physics are covered. Parts III and IV deal with the applications to inertial confinement fusion and as a driver of particle and radiation sources, respectively. Finally, Part V describes the principle diagnostic, targetry, and computational approaches used in the field. This book is designed to give students a thorough foundation in the fundamental physics of laser-plasma interactions. It will also provide readers with knowl...

Preliminary design of experiment high power density laser beam interaction with plasmas and development of a cold cathode electron beam laser amplifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosavi, R.K.; Kohanzadeh, Y.; Taherzadeh, M.; Vaziri, A.

1976-01-01

This experiment is designed to produce plasma by carbon dioxide pulsed laser, to measure plasma parameters and to study the interaction of the produced plasma with intense laser beams. The objectives of this experiment are the following: 1. To set up a TEA CO 2 laser oscillator and a cold cathode electron beam laser amplifier together as a system, to produce high energy optical pulses of short duration. 2. To achieve laser intensities of 10 11 watt/cm 2 or more at solid targets of polyethylene (C 2 H 4 )n, lithium hydride (LiH), and lithium deuteride in order to produce high temperature plasmas. 3. To design and develop diagnostic methods for studies of laser-induced plasmas. 4. To develop a high power CO 2 laser amplifier for the purpose of upgrading the optical energy delivered to the targets

The application of laser plasma in ophthalmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Yujiang; Luo Le; Sun Yabing

2000-01-01

The production and development of laser plasma are introduced, and the contribution of laser biomedicine and laser plasma technology to ophthalmology is analyzed. The latest three progresses (laser photocoagulation, photo-refractive keratotomy and laser iridectomy) of laser plasma applications in ophthalmology are presented

Nonlinear propagation of a spatially incoherent laser beam: self-induced smoothing and reduction of scattering instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maximov, A.V.; Ourdev, I.G.; Rozmus, W.; Capjack, C.E.; Mounaix, Ph.; Huller, S.; Pesme, D.; Tikhonchuk, V.T.; Divol, L.

2000-01-01

It is shown that plasma-induced angular spreading and spectral broadening of a spatially incoherent laser beam correspond to increased spatial and temporal incoherence of the laser light. The spatial incoherence is characterized by an effective beam f-number, decreasing in space along the direction of light propagation. Plasma-induced beam smoothing can influence laser-plasma interaction physics. In particular, decreasing the correlation time of the propagating laser light may dramatically reduce the levels of backward stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering inside the plasma. Also, the decrease of the laser beam effective f-number reduces the reflectivity of backward stimulated Brillouin scattering. (authors)

Secondary plasma formation after single pulse laser ablation underwater and its advantages for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

Science.gov (United States)

Gavrilović, M R; Cvejić, M; Lazic, V; Jovićević, S

2016-06-07

In this work we present studies of spatial and temporal plasma evolution after single pulse ablation of an aluminium target in water. The laser ablation was performed using 20 ns long pulses emitted at 1064 nm. The plasma characterization was performed by fast photography, the Schlieren technique, shadowgraphy and optical emission spectroscopy. The experimental results indicate the existence of two distinct plasma stages: the first stage has a duration of approximately 500 ns from the laser pulse, and is followed by a new plasma growth starting from the crater center. The secondary plasma slowly evolves inside the growing vapor bubble, and its optical emission lasts over several tens of microseconds. Later, the hot glowing particles, trapped inside the vapor cavity, were detected during the whole cycle of the bubble, where the first collapse occurs after 475 μs from the laser pulse. Differences in the plasma properties during the two evolution phases are discussed, with an accent on the optical emission since its detection is of primary importance for LIBS. Here we demonstrate that the LIBS signal quality in single pulse excitation underwater can be greatly enhanced by detecting only the secondary plasma emission, and also by applying long acquisition gates (in the order of 10-100 μs). The presented results are of great importance for LIBS measurements inside a liquid environment, since they prove that a good analytical signal can be obtained by using nanosecond pulses from a single commercial laser source and by employing cost effective, not gated detectors.

Scaling of laser-plasma interactions with laser wavelength and plasma size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Max, C.E.; Campbell, E.M.; Mead, W.C.; Kruer, W.L.; Phillion, D.W.; Turner, R.E.; Lasinski, B.F.; Estabrook, K.G.

1983-01-01

Plasma size is an important parameter in wavelength-scaling experiments because it determines both the threshold and potential gain for a variety of laser-plasma instabilities. Most experiments to date have of necessity produced relatively small plasmas, due to laser energy and pulse-length limitations. We have discussed in detail three recent Livermore experiments which had large enough plasmas that some instability thresholds were exceeded or approached. Our evidence for Raman scatter, filamentation, and the two-plasmon decay instability needs to be confirmed in experiments which measure several instability signatures simultaneously, and which produce more quantitative information about the local density and temperature profiles than we have today

Scaling of laser-plasma interactions with laser wavelength and plasma size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Max, C.E.; Campbell, E.M.; Mead, W.C.; Kruer, W.L.; Phillion, D.W.; Turner, R.E.; Lasinski, B.F.; Estabrook, K.G.

1983-01-25

Plasma size is an important parameter in wavelength-scaling experiments because it determines both the threshold and potential gain for a variety of laser-plasma instabilities. Most experiments to date have of necessity produced relatively small plasmas, due to laser energy and pulse-length limitations. We have discussed in detail three recent Livermore experiments which had large enough plasmas that some instability thresholds were exceeded or approached. Our evidence for Raman scatter, filamentation, and the two-plasmon decay instability needs to be confirmed in experiments which measure several instability signatures simultaneously, and which produce more quantitative information about the local density and temperature profiles than we have today.

Spectral lines and characteristic of temporal variations in photoionized plasmas induced with laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source

Science.gov (United States)

Saber, I.; Bartnik, A.; Wachulak, P.; Skrzeczanowski, W.; Jarocki, R.; Fiedorowicz, H.

2017-11-01

Spectral lines for Kr/Ne/H2 photoionized plasma in the ultraviolet and visible (UV/Vis) wavelength ranges have been created using a laser-produced plasma (LPP) EUV source. The source is based on a double-stream gas puff target irradiated with a commercial Nd:YAG laser. The laser pulses were focused onto a gas stream, injected into a vacuum chamber synchronously with the EUV pulses. Spectral lines from photoionization in neutral Kr/Ne/H2 and up to few charged states were observed. The intense emission lines were associated with the Kr transition lines. Experimental and theoretical investigations on intensity variations for some ionic lines are presented. A decrease in the intensity with the delay time between the laser pulse and the spectrum acquisition was revealed. Electron temperature and electron density in the photoionized plasma have been estimated from the characteristic emission lines. Temperature was obtained using Boltzmann plot method, assuming that the population density of atoms and ions are considered in a local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). Electron density was calculated from the Stark broadening profile. The temporal evaluation of the plasma and the way of optimizing the radiation intensity of LPP EUV sources is discussed.

Experimental study of the behavior of two laser produced plasmas in air

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Zefeng; Wei, Wenfu; Han, Jiaxun; Wu, Jian, E-mail: jxjawj@gmail.com; Li, Xingwen; Jia, Shenli [State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049 (China)

2015-07-15

The interactions among two laser ablated Al plasmas and their shock wave fronts (SWFs) induced by double laser pulses in air were studied experimentally. The evolution processes, including the expansion and interaction of the two plasmas and their shocks, were investigated by laser shadowgraphs, schlieren images, and interferograms. Remarkably, the distribution of the compressed air and the laser plasmas during the colliding process was clearly obtained using the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. From the refractive index profiles, typical plasmas density and gas density behind the shock front were estimated as ∼5.2 × 10{sup 18 }cm{sup −3} and ∼2.4 × 10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3}. A stagnation layer formed by the collision of gas behind the shock front is observed. The SWFs propagated, collided, and reflected with a higher velocity than plasmas. The results indicated that the slower plasma collided at middle, leading to the formation of the soft stagnation.

Correlation between grade of pearlite spheroidization and laser induced spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yao, Shunchun; Dong, Meirong; Lu, Jidong; Li, Jun; Dong, Xuan

2013-01-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) which is used traditionally as a spectrochemical analytical technique was employed to analyze the grade of pearlite spheroidization. Three 12Cr1MoV steel specimens with different grades of pearlite spheroidization were ablated to produce plasma by pulse laser at 266 nm. In order to determine the optimal temporal condition and plasma parameters for correlating the grade of pearlite spheroidization and laser induced spectra, a set of spectra at different delays were analyzed by the principal component analysis method. Then, the relationship between plasma temperature, intensity ratios of ionic to atomic lines and grade of pearlite spheroidization was studied. The analysis results show that the laser induced spectra of different grades of pearlite spheroidization can be readily identifiable by principal component analysis in the range of 271.941–289.672 nm with 1000 ns delay time. It is also found that a good agreement exists between the Fe ionic to atomic line ratios and the tensile strength, whereas there is no obvious difference in the plasma temperature. Therefore, LIBS may be applied not only as a spectrochemical analytical technique but also as a new way to estimate the grade of pearlite spheroidization. (paper)

Spectrochemical analysis using laser plasma excitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radziemski, L.J.

1989-01-01

This paper reports on analyses of gases, liquids, particles, and surfaces in which laser plasma is used to vaporize and excite a material. The authors present a discussion of the interaction between laser radiation and a solid and some recent analytical results using laser plasma excitation on metals. The use of laser plasmas as an ablation source is also discussed

Features of laser spectroscopy and diagnostics of plasma ions in high magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Semerok, A F; Fomichev, S V

2003-01-01

Laser induced fluorescence and laser absorption spectroscopies of plasma ions in high magnetic fields have been investigated. Both the high degree of Zeeman splitting of the resonant transitions and the ion rotational movement drastically change the properties of the resonance interaction of the continuous wave laser radiation with ions in highly magnetized plasma. Numerical solution of the density matrix equation for a dissipative two-level system with time-dependent detuning from resonance was used to analyse this interaction. A theoretical simulation was performed and compared with the experimental results obtained from the laser spectroscopy diagnostics of barium plasma ions in high magnetic fields in the several tesla range

Double pulse laser induced breakdown spectroscopy of a solid in water: Effect of hydrostatic pressure on laser induced plasma, cavitation bubble and emission spectra

Science.gov (United States)

López-Claros, M.; Dell'Aglio, M.; Gaudiuso, R.; Santagata, A.; De Giacomo, A.; Fortes, F. J.; Laserna, J. J.

2017-07-01

There is a growing interest in the development of sensors use in exploration of the deep ocean. Techniques for the chemical analysis of submerged solids are of special interest, as they show promise for subsea mining applications where a rapid sorting of materials found in the sea bottom would improve efficiency. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has demonstrated potential for this application thanks to its unique capability of providing the atomic composition of submerged solids. Here we present a study on the parameters that affect the spectral response of metallic targets in an oceanic pressure environment. Following laser excitation of the solid, the plasma persistence and the cavitation bubble size are considerably reduced as the hydrostatic pressure increases. These effects are of particular concern in dual pulse excitation as reported here, where a careful choice of the interpulse timing is required. Shadowgraphic images of the plasma demonstrate that cavitation bubbles are formed early after the plasma onset and that the effect of hydrostatic pressure is negligible during the early stage of plasma expansion. Contrarily to what is observed at atmospheric pressure, emission spectra observed at high pressures are characterized by self-absorbed atomic lines on continuum radiation resulting from strong radiative recombination in the electron-rich confined environment. This effect is much less evident with ionic lines due to the much higher energy of the levels involved and ionization energy of ions, as well as to the lower extent of absorption effects occurring in the inner part of the plasma, where ionized species are more abundant. As a result of the smaller shorter-lived cavitation bubble, the LIBS intensity enhancement resulting from dual pulse excitation is reduced when the applied pressure increases.

Plume expansion of a laser-induced plasma studied with the particle-in-cell method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard, O.; Nedelea, T.; Schou, Jørgen

2002-01-01

energy as well as electron energy. We have estimated the time constant for energy transfer between the electrons and the ions. The scaling of these processes is given by a single parameter determined by the Debye length obtained from the electron density in the plasma outside the surface. (C) 2002......The initial stage of laser-induced plasma plume expansion from a solid in vacuum and the effect of the Coulomb field have been studied. We have performed a one-dimensional numerical calculation by mapping the charge on a computational grid according to the particle-in-cell (PIC) method of Birdsall...... et al. It is assumed that the particle ablation from a surface with a fixed temperature takes place as a pulse, i.e. within a finite period of time. A number of characteristic quantities for the plasma plume are compared with similar data for expansion of neutrals as well as fluid models: Density...

Electromagnetically induced guiding and superradiant amplification of counter-propagating lasers in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shvets, G.; Fisch, N.J.; Pukhov, A.

1999-01-01

The interaction of counter-propagating laser pulses in a plasma is considered. When the frequencies of the two lasers are close, nonlinear modification of the refraction index results in the mutual focusing of the two beams. A short (of order the plasma period) laser pulse can be nonlinearly focused by a long counter-propagating beam which extends over the entire guiding length. It is also demonstrated that a short ( p ) laser pulse can be superradiantly amplified by a counter-propagating long low-intensity pump while remaining ultra-short. Particle-in-Cell simulations indicate that pump depletion can be as high as 40%. This implies that the long pump is efficiently compressed in time without frequency chirping and pulse stretching, making the superradiant amplification an interesting alternative to the conventional method of producing ultra-intense pulses by the chirped-pulse amplification. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics

Analysis of organic vapors with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nozari, Hadi; Tavassoli, Seyed Hassan [Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, G. C, 1983963113 Evin, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rezaei, Fatemeh, E-mail: fatemehrezaei@kntu.ac.ir [Department of Physics, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, 15875-4416 Shariati, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-09-15

In this paper, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is utilized in the study of acetone, ethanol, methanol, cyclohexane, and nonane vapors. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atomic emission spectra have been recorded following laser-induced breakdown of the organic vapors that are mixed with air inside a quartz chamber at atmospheric pressure. The plasma is generated with focused, Q-switched Nd:YAG radiation at the wavelength of 1064 nm. The effects of ignition and vapor pressure are discussed in view of the appearance of the emission spectra. The recorded spectra are proportional to the vapor pressure in air. The hydrogen and oxygen contributions diminish gradually with consecutive laser-plasma events without gas flow. The results show that LIBS can be used to characterize organic vapor.

Analysis of organic vapors with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozari, Hadi; Tavassoli, Seyed Hassan; Rezaei, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

In this paper, laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is utilized in the study of acetone, ethanol, methanol, cyclohexane, and nonane vapors. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atomic emission spectra have been recorded following laser-induced breakdown of the organic vapors that are mixed with air inside a quartz chamber at atmospheric pressure. The plasma is generated with focused, Q-switched Nd:YAG radiation at the wavelength of 1064 nm. The effects of ignition and vapor pressure are discussed in view of the appearance of the emission spectra. The recorded spectra are proportional to the vapor pressure in air. The hydrogen and oxygen contributions diminish gradually with consecutive laser-plasma events without gas flow. The results show that LIBS can be used to characterize organic vapor

Laser-induced shockwave propagation from ablation in a cavity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeng Xianzhong; Mao Xianglei; Mao, Samuel S.; Wen, S.-B.; Greif, Ralph; Russo, Richard E.

2006-01-01

The propagation of laser-induced shockwaves from ablation inside of cavities was determined from time-resolved shadowgraph images. The temperature and electron number density of the laser-induced plasma was determined from spectroscopic measurements. These properties were compared to those for laser ablation on the flat surface under the same energy and background gas condition. A theoretical model was proposed to determine the amount of energy and vaporized mass stored in the vapor plume based on these measurements

Propagation characteristics of a Gaussian laser beam in plasma with modulated collision frequency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ying; Yuan Chengxun; Zhou Zhongxiang; Gao Ruilin; Li Lei; Du Yanwei

2012-01-01

The propagation characteristics of a Gaussian laser beam in cold plasma with the electron collision frequency modulated by laser intensity are presented. The nonlinear dynamics of the ponderomotive force, which induce nonlinear self-focusing as opposed to spatial diffraction, are considered. The effective dielectric function of the Drude model and complex eikonal function are adopted in deriving coupled differential equations of the varying laser beam parameters. In the framework of ponderomotive nonlinearity, the frequency of electron collision in plasmas, which is proportional to the spatial electron density, is strongly interrelated with the laser beam propagation characteristics. Hence, the propagation properties of the laser beam and the modulated electron collision frequency distribution in plasma were studied and explained in depth. Employing this self-consistent method, the obtained simulation results approach practical conditions, which is of significance to the study of laser–plasma interactions.

Charge-exchange-induced formation of hollow atoms in high-intensity laser-produced plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosmej, F.B. [TU-Darmstadt, Institut fuer Kernphysik, Darmstadt (Germany); Faenov, A.Ya.; Pikuz, T.A.; Magunov, A.I.; Skobelev, I.Yu. [Multicharged Ions Spectra Data Center of VNIIFTRI, Mendeleevo (Russian Federation); Auguste, T.; D' Oliveira, P.; Hulin, S.; Monot, P. [Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique DSM/DRECAM/SPAM, Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Andreev, N.E.; Chegotov, M.V.; Veisman, M.E. [High Energy Density Research Centre, Institute of High Temperatures of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1999-03-14

For the first time registration of high-resolution soft x-ray emission and atomic data calculations of hollow-atom dielectronic satellite spectra of highly charged nitrogen have been performed. Double-electron charge-exchange processes from excited states are proposed for the formation of autoionizing levels nln'l' in high-intensity laser-produced plasmas, when field-ionized ions penetrate into the residual gas. Good agreement is found between theory and experiment. Plasma spectroscopy with hollow ions is proposed and a temperature diagnostic for laser-produced plasmas in the long-lasting recombining regime is developed. (author). Letter-to-the-editor.

Investigation on the role of air in the dynamical evolution and thermodynamic state of a laser-induced aluminium plasma by spatial- and time-resolved spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cristoforetti, G., E-mail: gabriele.cristoforetti@cnr.i [National Institute of Optics, Research Area of National Research Council, Via G.Moruzzi, 1 - 56124 Pisa (Italy); Lorenzetti, G.; Legnaioli, S.; Palleschi, V. [Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds, Research Area of National Research Council, Via G.Moruzzi, 1 - 56124 Pisa (Italy)

2010-09-15

The amount and the spatial distribution of air atoms and ions in a laser-induced plasma in ambient air provide important information about the formation of the plasma and its successive evolution history. For this reason, in the present work, the air mixing in a laser-induced plasma in air at atmospheric pressure and its influence on its thermodynamic evolution were studied. Information about spatial distributions of atoms and ions from Al, N and O were achieved by Abel-inverted spectra in the plume. The occurrence of LTE in the plume was also assessed by the utilization of theoretical criteria, and by the analysis of experimental spectra. Aluminium atoms and ions were found to be in LTE, while nitrogen and oxygen were not because of their longer times of relaxation toward equilibrium. Nitrogen was found to be over-ionized with respect to Saha-Eggert equilibrium, indicating that the plasma is recombining. Experimental observations suggest that the concentration of air species in the plasma is larger than that of aluminium, even in the region closer to the target, where the aluminium lines are stronger. In the front part of the plume only emission lines from air species were observed. The results suggest that a Laser-Supported Detonation (LSD) regime occurs during the trailing part of the laser pulse, resulting in the strong inclusion into the plasma of air elements. In this scenario, also the thermodynamic history of the plume is affected by the predominance of air species.

Erratum to: Measurement of copper vapour laser-induced ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Erratum to: Measurement of copper vapour laser-induced deformation of dielectric-coated mirror surface by. Michelson interferometer. A WAHID. ∗. , S KUNDU, J S B SINGH, A K SINGH, A KHATTAR,. S K MAURYA, J S DHUMAL and K DASGUPTA. Laser & Plasma Technology Division, Beam Technology Development ...

Comparative measurements of mineral elements in milk powders with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, W Q; El Haddad, J; Motto-Ros, V; Gilon-Delepine, N; Stankova, A; Ma, Q L; Bai, X S; Zheng, L J; Zeng, H P; Yu, J

2011-07-01

Mineral elements contained in commercially available milk powders, including seven infant formulae and one adult milk, were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The purpose of this work was, through a direct comparison of the analytical results, to provide an assessment of the performance of LIBS, and especially of the procedure of calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS), to deal with organic compounds such as milk powders. In our experiments, the matrix effect was clearly observed affecting the analytical results each time laser ablation was employed for sampling. Such effect was in addition directly observed by determining the physical parameters of the plasmas induced on the different samples. The CF-LIBS procedure was implemented to deduce the concentrations of Mg and K with Ca as the internal reference element. Quantitative analytical results with CF-LIBS were validated with ICP-AES measurements and nominal concentrations specified for commercial milks. The obtained good results with the CF-LIBS procedure demonstrate its capacity to take into account the difference in physical parameters of the plasma in the calculation of the concentrations of mineral elements, which allows a significant reduction of the matrix effect related to laser ablation. We finally discuss the way to optimize the implementation of the CF-LIBS procedure for the analysis of mineral elements in organic materials.

Generation of ultra-high-pressure shocks by collision of a fast plasma projectile driven in the laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration scheme with a solid target

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Badziak, J.; Rosinski, M.; Krouský, Eduard; Kucharik, M.; Liska, R.; Ullschmied, Jiří

2015-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 3 (2015), s. 1-11, č. článku 032709. ISSN 1070-664X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LD14089; GA MŠk LM2010014 EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 284464 - LASERLAB-EUROPE Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389021 Keywords : laser-produced plasma * ultra-high-pressure shocks * laser-induced cavity pressure acceleration Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 2.207, year: 2015

On metal fracture induced by laser radiation and impact pinched plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sultanov, M.A.; Olejnikov, V.P.

1980-01-01

Dependences of erosion of metals (Mo, W, Fe, Ta, Cr, Cd and etc.) on thermal physical properties and the place of laser radiation focusing are investigated. The radiation output energy has reached 10G, the impulse durability - 10 -3 sec. It is shown that the lense focus shift causes the change in the form and dimensions of a crater fracture. It is noted that there are shock waves in the laser plasma structure of fracture products, which are indicative of supersonic velocities of outflow of plasma microjets. A greater fracture degree of refractory metals (W, Mo, Ta) under the investigated conditions is noted. The erosion parameters of a great number of the metals under investigation are given

Influence of irradiation conditions on plasma evolution in laser-surface interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Hermann, J.; Boulmer-Leborgne, C.; Dubreuil, B.; Mihailescu, I. N.

1993-09-01

The plasma plume induced by pulsed CO2 laser irradiation of a Ti target at power densities up to 4×108 W cm-2 was studied by emission spectroscopy. Time- and space-resolved measurements were performed by varying laser intensity, laser temporal pulse shape, ambient gas pressure, and the nature of the ambient gas. Experimental results are discussed by comparison with usual models. We show that shock wave and plasma propagation depend critically on the ratio Ivap/Ii, Ivap being the intensity threshold for surface vaporization and Ii the plasma ignition threshold of the ambient gas. Spectroscopic diagnostics of the helium breakdown plasma show maximum values of electron temperature and electron density in the order of kTe˜10 eV and ne=1018 cm-3, respectively. The plasma cannot be described by local thermodynamic equilibrium modeling. Nevertheless, excited metal atoms appear to be in equilibrium with electrons, hence, they can be used like a probe to measure the electron temperature. In order to get information on the role of the plasma in the laser-surface interaction, Ti surfaces were investigated by microscopy after irradiation. Thus an enhanced momentum transfer from the plasma to the target due to the recoil pressure of the breakdown plasma could be evidenced.

Rayleigh-Taylor analysis in a laser-induced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, R A; Gonzales, C A; Riascos, H

2012-01-01

We report the conditions (plasma parameters) under which the Rayleigh-Taylor Instability (RTI) develops in an Al plasma produced by a Nd:Yag pulsed laser with a fluence range of 1 to 4 J/cm 2 , wavelength of 1064nm and 10Hz repetition rate. The used data correspond to different pressure values of the ambient N atmosphere. From previous works, we took the RTI growth rate form. From the perturbation theory the instability amplitude is proportional to e -ηt . Using the drag model, we calculated the plume dynamics equations integrating the instability term and plotted the instability growth profile with the delay time values to get critical numbers for it, in order to show under which conditions the RTI appears.

Progress of Laser-Driven Plasma Accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakajima, Kazuhisa

2007-01-01

There is a great interest worldwide in plasma accelerators driven by ultra-intense lasers which make it possible to generate ultra-high gradient acceleration and high quality particle beams in a much more compact size compared with conventional accelerators. A frontier research on laser and plasma accelerators is focused on high energy electron acceleration and ultra-short X-ray and Tera Hertz radiations as their applications. These achievements will provide not only a wide range of sciences with benefits of a table-top accelerator but also a basic science with a tool of ultrahigh energy accelerators probing an unknown extremely microscopic world.Harnessing the recent advance of ultra-intense ultra-short pulse lasers, the worldwide research has made a tremendous breakthrough in demonstrating high-energy high-quality particle beams in a compact scale, so called ''dream beams on a table top'', which represents monoenergetic electron beams from laser wakefield accelerators and GeV acceleration by capillary plasma-channel laser wakefield accelerators. This lecture reviews recent progress of results on laser-driven plasma based accelerator experiments to quest for particle acceleration physics in intense laser-plasma interactions and to present new outlook for the GeV-range high-energy laser plasma accelerators

Thermonuclear fusion plasma produced by lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamanaka, C.; Yokoyama, M.; Nakai, S.; Sasaki, T.; Yoshida, K.; Matoba, M.; Yamabe, C.; Tschudi, T.; Yamanaka, T.; Mizui, J.; Yamaguchi, N.; Nishikawa, K.

1975-01-01

Recently, much attention has been focused on laser fusion schemes using high-density plasmas produced by implosion. Scientific-feasibility laser-fusion experiments are now in time. But the physics of interaction between laser and plasma, the high-compression technique and the development of high-power lasers are still important problems to be solved if laser fusion is to make some progress. In the field of laser-plasma coupling, experiments were carried out in which hydrogen and deuterium sticks were bombarded by laser beams; in these experiments, a glass-laser system, LETKKO-I, with an energy of 50 J in a nanosecond pulse, and a double-discharge TEA CO 2 laser system with an energy of 100 J in a 100-ns pulse were used. A decrease in reflectivity occurred at a laser intensity one order of magnitude higher than the parametric-instability threshold. Self-phase modulation of scattered light due to modulational instability was found. A Brillouin-backscattering isotope effect due to the hydrogen and deuterium plasma has also been observed in the red-side part of the SHG-light. Preliminary compression experiments have been carried out using a glass-laser system LETKKO-II, with an energy of 250-1000 J in a ns-pulse. A hologram has been used to study shock waves in the plasma due to the SHG-light converted from the main laser beam. Development of high-power lasers has been promoted, such as disc-glass lasers, E-beam CO 2 lasers and excimer lasers. (author)

Applications of ultra-short pulsed laser ablation: thin films deposition and fs/ns dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teghil, R; De Bonis, A; Galasso, A; Santagata, A; Albano, G; Villani, P; Spera, D; Parisi, G P

2008-01-01

In this paper, we report a survey of two of the large number of possible practical applications of the laser ablation performed by an ultra-short pulse laser, namely pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and fs/ns dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS). These applications differ from those using just longer pulsed lasers as a consequence of the distinctive characteristics of the plasma produced by ultra-short laser beams. The most important feature of this plasma is the large presence of particles with nanometric size which plays a fundamental role in both applications.

Enhancement of Wound Healing by Non-Thermal N2/Ar Micro-Plasma Exposure in Mice with Fractional-CO2-Laser-Induced Wounds

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Pei-Lin; Liao, Jiunn-Der; Wong, Tak-Wah; Wang, Yi-Cheng; Leu, Steve; Yip, Hon-Kan

2016-01-01

Micro-plasma is a possible alternative treatment for wound management. The effect of micro-plasma on wound healing depends on its composition and temperature. The authors previously developed a capillary-tube-based micro-plasma system that can generate micro-plasma with a high nitric oxide-containing species composition and mild working temperature. Here, the efficacy of micro-plasma treatment on wound healing in a laser-induced skin wound mouse model was investigated. A partial thickness wound was created in the back skin of each mouse and then treated with micro-plasma. Non-invasive methods, namely wound closure kinetics, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and laser Doppler scanning, were used to measure the healing efficiency in the wound area. Neo-tissue growth and the expressions of matrix metallopeptidase-3 (MMP-3) and laminin in the wound area were assessed using histological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The results show that micro-plasma treatment promoted wound healing. Micro-plasma treatment significantly reduced the wound bed region. The OCT images and histological analysis indicates more pronounced tissue regrowth in the wound bed region after micro-plasma treatment. The laser Doppler images shows that micro-plasma treatment promoted blood flow in the wound bed region. The IHC results show that the level of laminin increased in the wound bed region after micro-plasma treatment, whereas the level of MMP-3 decreased. Based on these results, micro-plasma has potential to be used to promote the healing of skin wounds clinically. PMID:27248979

Laser plasma interactions in hohlraums

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kruer, W.L.

1994-10-05

Lasers plasma instabilities are an important constraint in x-ray driven inertial confinement fusion. In hohlraums irradiated with 1.06 {mu}m light on the Shiva laser, plasma instabilities were extremely deleterious, driving the program to the use of shorter wavelength light. Excellent coupling has been achieved in hohlraums driven with 0.35 {mu}m light on the Nova laser. Considerable attention is being given to the scaling of this excellent coupling to the larger hohlraums for an ignition target. Various instability control mechanisms such as large plasma wave damping and laser beam incoherence are discussed, as well as scaling experiments to check the instability levels.

Relativistic laser channeling in plasmas for fast ignition

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, A. L.; Pukhov, A.; Kodama, R.; Yabuuchi, T.; Adumi, K.; Endo, K.; Freeman, R. R.; Habara, H.; Kitagawa, Y.; Kondo, K.; Kumar, G. R.; Matsuoka, T.; Mima, K.; Nagatomo, H.; Norimatsu, T.; Shorokhov, O.; Snavely, R.; Yang, X. Q.; Zheng, J.; Tanaka, K. A.

2007-12-01

We report an experimental observation suggesting plasma channel formation by focusing a relativistic laser pulse into a long-scale-length preformed plasma. The channel direction coincides with the laser axis. Laser light transmittance measurement indicates laser channeling into the high-density plasma with relativistic self-focusing. A three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation reproduces the plasma channel and reveals that the collimated hot-electron beam is generated along the laser axis in the laser channeling. These findings hold the promising possibility of fast heating a dense fuel plasma with a relativistic laser pulse.

Laser-induced nuclear physics and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ledingham, K.W.D.; Singhal, R.P.; McKenna, P.; Spencer, I.

2002-01-01

With a 1 ps pulse laser at 1 μm wavelength, He gas is ionised at about 3.10 14 W.cm -2 . As the intensity increases, the inert gases become multiple ionised and between 10 18 and 10 19 W.cm -2 photon induced nuclear reactions are energetically possible. Close to 10 21 W.cm -2 pion production can take place. At the very high intensities of 10 28 W.cm -2 , it can be shown that electron-positron pairs can be created from the vacuum. The authors review the applications of high intensity focused laser beams in particle acceleration, laser-induced fission and laser production of protons and neutrons. Exciting new phenomena are expected at intensities higher than 10 22 W.cm -2 , -) the oscillating electric field can affect directly the protons in exactly the same way as the electrons in the plasma, -) fusion reactions by direct laser acceleration of ions. (A.C.)

Nonlinear plasma wave models in 3D fluid simulations of laser-plasma interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Thomas; Berger, Richard; Arrighi, Bill; Langer, Steve; Banks, Jeffrey; Brunner, Stephan

2017-10-01

Simulations of laser-plasma interaction (LPI) in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) conditions require multi-mm spatial scales due to the typical laser beam size and durations of order 100 ps in order for numerical laser reflectivities to converge. To be computationally achievable, these scales necessitate a fluid-like treatment of light and plasma waves with a spatial grid size on the order of the light wave length. Plasma waves experience many nonlinear phenomena not naturally described by a fluid treatment, such as frequency shifts induced by trapping, a nonlinear (typically suppressed) Landau damping, and mode couplings leading to instabilities that can cause the plasma wave to decay rapidly. These processes affect the onset and saturation of stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering, and are of direct interest to the modeling and prediction of deleterious LPI in ICF. It is not currently computationally feasible to simulate these Debye length-scale phenomena in 3D across experimental scales. Analytically-derived and/or numerically benchmarked models of processes occurring at scales finer than the fluid simulation grid offer a path forward. We demonstrate the impact of a range of kinetic processes on plasma reflectivity via models included in the LPI simulation code pF3D. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Study of a recombination X-ray laser scheme in a H-like nitrogen plasma created by optical field induced ionization; Etude de la faisabilite d'un laser X en recombinaison dans un plasma d'azote hydrogenoide cree par effet tunnel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hulin, S

2001-07-01

Thanks to their high brightness and short wavelength, X ray lasers are interesting diagnostics in many experiments because they can efficiently probe dense plasmas. Furthermore their mono-chromaticity and collimation make them interesting tools in plasma physics but also in many biology or chemistry experiments. The effective use of this diagnostic is mainly depending on its dimensions and cost. For this reason, research on X ray laser is now focused on the reduction of cost and the realization of table-top facilities. One of these research axis, based on the optical field induced ionization (OFI) of the plasma, is presented in this work. An ultra-short (60 fs) high-brightness (10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}) Ti:Sapphire (790 nm) laser is focused into a nitrogen pulsed gas jet. A dense (10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}) plasma of fully stripped nitrogen is created by the way. During the fast recombination of the plasma some population inversions between levels of principal quantum number 2 and 1 (2.4 nm) and 3 and 2 (13.4 nm) can occur depending on the plasma parameters. The creation of the plasma by OFI, laser-plasma interaction dominated by relativistic self-focusing, and recombination dynamics are studied by numerical simulations on one hand and experiments on the other hand. Temperature measurements and numerical simulations show a strong heating, destructive for the laser scheme, which can be explained by Raman instability growing. Nevertheless plasma X ray emission in the 2-20 nm range show a strong increase with the electronic density of the 13.4 nm line intensity. This behavior is consistent with a laser effect but is not detected on the 2.4 nm transition line. (author)

Plasma Emission Spectra of Opuntia Nopalea Obtained with Microsecond Laser Pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponce, L.; Flores, T.; Arronte, A.; Flores, A.

2008-01-01

Laser-induced Plasma Spectroscopy was performed during the spines ablation of Opuntia by using Nd:YAG microsecond laser pulses. The results show strong absorption in Glochids that causes the intense electronic noise on the spectra. This process is consider suitable for practical elimination of spines in alimentary products like opuntia

Spectroscopic and shadowgraphic analysis of laser induced plasmas in the orthogonal double pulse pre-ablation configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cristoforetti, G.; Legnaioli, S.; Pardini, L.; Palleschi, V.; Salvetti, A.; Tognoni, E.

2006-01-01

This work focuses on the study of the plumes obtained in the double pulse orthogonal Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in the pre-ablation configuration using both spectroscopic and shadowgraphic approaches. Single and double pulse LIBS experiments were carried out on a brass sample in air. Both the distance of the air plasma from the target surface and the interpulse delay were varied (respectively in the range 0.1-4.2 mm and up to 50 μs) revealing a significant variation of the plasma emission and of the plume-shock wave dynamical expansion in different cases. The intensity of both atomic and ionized zinc lines was measured in all the cases, allowing the calculation of the spatially averaged temperature and electron density and an estimation of the ablated mass. The line intensities and the thermodynamic parameters obtained by the spectroscopic measurements were discussed bearing in mind the dynamical expansion characteristics obtained from the shadowgraphic approach. All the data seem to be consistent with the model previously proposed for the double pulse collinear configuration where the line enhancement is mainly attributed to the ambient gas rarefaction produced by the first laser pulse, which causes a less effective shielding of the second laser pulse

Quasilinear theory of laser-plasma interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neil, A.J.

1992-01-01

The interaction of a high intensity laser beam with a plasma is generally susceptible to the filamentation instability due to nonuniformities in the laser profile. In ponderomotive filamentation high intensity spots in the beam expell plasma by pondermotive force, lowering the local density, causing even more light to be focused into the already high intensity region. The result-the beam is broken up into a filamentary structure. Several optical smoothing techniques have been proposed to eliminate this problem. In the Random Phase Plates (RPS) approach, the beam is split into a very fine scale, time-stationary interference pattern. The irregularities in this pattern are small enough that thermal diffusion is then responsible for smoothing the illumination. In the Induced Spatial Incoherence (ISI) approach the beam is broken up into a larger scale but non-time-stationary interference pattern. In this dissertation the author proposes that the photons in an ISI beam resonantly interact with the sound waves in the wake of the beam. Such a resonant interaction induces diffusion in the velocity space of the photons. The diffusion will tend to spread the distribution of photons, thus if the diffusion time is much shorter than the e-folding time of the filamentation instability, the instability will be suppressed. Using a wave-kinetic description of laser-plasma interactions the author has applied quasilinear theory to model the resonant interactions of the photons in an ISI beam with the beam's wake field. An analytic expression is derived for the transverse diffusion coefficient. The quasilinear hypothesis was tested numerically and shown to yield an underestimate of the diffusion rate. By comparing the quasilinear diffusion rate with the maximum growth rate for the ponderomotive filamentation of a uniform beam, the author derived a worst case criterion for stability against ponderomotive filamentation

Frequency mixing in boron carbide laser ablation plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Oujja, M.; Benítez-Cañete, A.; Sanz, M.; Lopez-Quintas, I.; Martín, M.; de Nalda, R.; Castillejo, M.

2015-05-01

Nonlinear frequency mixing induced by a bichromatic field (1064 nm + 532 nm obtained from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser) in a boron carbide (B4C) plasma generated through laser ablation under vacuum is explored. A UV beam at the frequency of the fourth harmonic of the fundamental frequency (266 nm) was generated. The dependence of the efficiency of the process as function of the intensities of the driving lasers differs from the expected behavior for four-wave mixing, and point toward a six-wave mixing process. The frequency mixing process was strongly favored for parallel polarizations of the two driving beams. Through spatiotemporal mapping, the conditions for maximum efficiency were found for a significant delay from the ablation event (200 ns), when the medium is expected to be a low-ionized plasma. No late components of the harmonic signal were detected, indicating a largely atomized medium.

Controlling Laser Plasma Instabilities Using Temporal Bandwidths Under Shock Ignition Relevant Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Tsung, Frank; Weaver, J.; Lehmberg, R.

2017-10-01

We are performing particle-in-cell simulations using the code OSIRIS to study the effects of laser plasma interactions in the presence of temporal bandwidth under plasma conditions relevant to experiments on the Nike laser with induced spatial incoherence (ISI). With ISI, the instantaneous laser intensity can be 3-4 times larger than the average intensity, leading to the excitation of additional TPD modes and producing electrons with larger angular spread. In our simulations, we observe that although ISI can increase the interaction regions for short bursts of time, time-averaged (over many pico-seconds) laser plasma interactions can be reduced by a factor of 2 in systems with sufficiently large bandwidths (where the inverse bandwidth is comparable with the linear growth time). We will quantify these effects and investigate higher dimensional effects such as laser speckles and the effects of Coulomb collisions. Work supported by NRL, NNSA, and NSF.

Laser-plasma interactions in magnetized environment

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yuan; Qin, Hong; Fisch, Nathaniel J.

2018-05-01

Propagation and scattering of lasers present new phenomena and applications when the plasma medium becomes strongly magnetized. With mega-Gauss magnetic fields, scattering of optical lasers already becomes manifestly anisotropic. Special angles exist where coherent laser scattering is either enhanced or suppressed, as we demonstrate using a cold-fluid model. Consequently, by aiming laser beams at special angles, one may be able to optimize laser-plasma coupling in magnetized implosion experiments. In addition, magnetized scattering can be exploited to improve the performance of plasma-based laser pulse amplifiers. Using the magnetic field as an extra control variable, it is possible to produce optical pulses of higher intensity, as well as compress UV and soft x-ray pulses beyond the reach of other methods. In even stronger giga-Gauss magnetic fields, laser-plasma interaction enters a relativistic-quantum regime. Using quantum electrodynamics, we compute a modified wave dispersion relation, which enables correct interpretation of Faraday rotation measurements of strong magnetic fields.

Characterization Of High Explosives Detonations Via Laser-Induced Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Villa-Aleman, E. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-10-08

One objective of the Department of Energy’s National Security Administration is to develop technologies that can help the United States government to detect foreign nuclear weapons development activities. The realm of high explosive (HE) experiments is one of the key areas to assess the nuclear ambitions of a country. SRNL has participated in the collection of particulates from HE experiments and characterized the material with the purpose to correlate particulate matter with HE. Since these field campaigns are expensive, on-demand simulated laboratory-scale explosion experiments are needed to further our knowledge of the chemistry and particle formation in the process. Our goal is to develop an experimental test bed in the laboratory to test measurement concepts and correlate particle formation processes with the observables from the detonation fireball. The final objective is to use this knowledge to tailor our experimental setups in future field campaigns. The test bed uses pulsed laser-induced plasmas to simulate micro-explosions, with the intent to study the temporal behavior of the fireball observed in field tests. During FY15, a plan was prepared and executed which assembled two laser ablation systems, procured materials for study, and tested a Step-Scan Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (SS-FTIR). Designs for a shadowgraph system for shock wave analysis, design for a micro-particulate collector from ablated pulse were accomplished. A novel spectroscopic system was conceived and a prototype system built for acquisition of spectral/temporal characterization of a high speed event such as from a high explosive detonation. Experiments and analyses will continue into FY16.

Modeling the astrophysical dynamical process with laser-plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Jiangfan; Zhang Jun; Zhang Jie

2001-01-01

The use of the state-of-the-art laser facility makes it possible to create conditions of the same or similar to those in the astrophysical processes. The introduction of the astrophysics-relevant ideas in laser-plasma experiments is propitious to the understanding of the astrophysical phenomena. However, the great difference between the laser-produced plasmas and the astrophysical processes makes it awkward to model the latter by laser-plasma experiments. The author addresses the physical backgrounds for modeling the astrophysical plasmas by laser plasmas, connecting these two kinds of plasmas by scaling laws. Thus, allowing the creation of experimental test beds where observations and models can be quantitatively compared with laser-plasma data. Special attentions are paid on the possibilities of using home-made laser facilities to model astrophysical phenomena

Laser-induced surface deformation microscope for the study of the dynamic viscoelasticity of plasma membrane in a living cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Morisaku, Toshinori; Yui, Hiroharu

2018-05-15

A laser-induced surface deformation (LISD) microscope is developed and applied to measurement of the dynamic relaxation responses of the plasma membrane in a living cell. A laser beam is tightly focused on an optional area of cell surface and the focused light induces microscopic deformation on the surface via radiation pressure. The LISD microscope not only allows non-contact and destruction-free measurement but provides power spectra of the surface responses depending on the frequency of the intensity of the laser beam. An optical system for the LISD is equipped via a microscope, allowing us to measure the relaxation responses in sub-cellular-sized regions of the plasma membrane. In addition, the forced oscillation caused by the radiation pressure for surface deformation extends the upper limit of the frequency range in the obtained power spectra to 106 Hz, which enables us to measure relaxation responses in local regions within the plasma membrane. From differences in power-law exponents at higher frequencies, it is realized that a cancerous cell obeys a weaker single power-law than a normal fibroblast cell. Furthermore, the power spectrum of a keratinocyte cell obeys a power-law with two exponents, indicating that alternative mechanical models to a conventional soft glassy rheology model (where single power-laws explain cells' responses below about 103 Hz) are needed for the understanding over a wider frequency range. The LISD microscope would contribute to investigation of microscopic cell rheology, which is important for clarifying the mechanisms of cell migration and tissue construction.

Physico-chemical studies of laser-induced plasmas for quantitative analysis of materials in nuclear systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saad, Rawad

2014-01-01

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a multi-elemental analysis technique very well suited for analysis in hostile environments particularly in the nuclear industry. Quantitative measurements are frequently performed on liquid or solid samples but in some cases, atypical signal behaviors were observed in the LIBS experiment. To avoid or minimize any impact on measurement accuracy, it is necessary to improve the understanding of these phenomena. In the framework of a three-year PhD thesis, the objective was to study the chemical reactions occurring within laser-generated plasma in a LIBS analysis. Experiments on a model material (pure aluminum sample) highlighted the dynamics of molecular recombination according to different ambient gas. The temporal evolution of Al I atomic emission lines and molecular bands of AlO and AlN were studied. A collisional excitation effect was identified for a peculiar electronic energy level of aluminum in the case of a nitrogen atmosphere. This effect disappeared in air. The aluminum plasma was also imaged during its expansion under the different atmospheres in order to localize the areas in which the molecular recombination process takes place. Spectacular particle projections have been highlighted. (author) [fr

Interaction of Intense Lasers with Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Shvets, Gennady

1995-01-01

This thesis addresses two important topics in nonlinear laser plasma physics: the interaction of intense lasers with a non thermal homogeneous plasma, the excitation of laser wakefields in hollow plasma channels, and the stability of channel guided propagation of laser pulses. In the first half of this thesis a new theoretical approach to the nonlinear interaction of intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas is developed. Unlike previous treatments, this theory is three-dimensional, relativistically covariant, and does not assume that astudied. An experimental check of this calculation is suggested, based on the predicted non-linear polarization rotation (the second harmonic is emitted polarized perpendicularly to polarization of the incident signal). The concept of renormalization is applied to the plasma and electromagnetic radiation (photons and plasmons). To the lowest order, this corresponds to relativistically correcting the electron mass for its oscillation in an intense EM field and to replacing the vacuum dispersion relation by the usual relativistic plasma dispersion relation. This renormalization procedure is then carried to higher order in epsilon=omega_sp{p} {2}a^2/[(1+a^2/2)^ {3/2}omega^2]. This yields the nonlinear modification of the index of refraction of a strong electromagnetic wave and the dispersion of a weak probe in the presence of the wave. In the second part of this thesis the stability of short laser pulses propagating through parabolic channels and the wake excitation of hollow plasma channels are studied. The stability of a channel guided short laser pulse propagation is analyzed for the first time. Perturbations to the laser pulse are shown to modify the ponderomotive pressure, which distorts the dielectric properties of the plasma channel. The channel perturbation then further distorts the laser pulse. A set of coupled mode equations is derived, and a matrix dispersion relation is obtained analytically. The ponderomotive excitation

Plasmas and intense laser light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, E.T.

1984-01-01

The present article begins with a description of the laser technology required to reach the high irradiances of interest and provides a brief outline of the more important diagnostic techniques used in investigating the plasmas. An introduction to plasma waves is given and the linear and nonlinear excitation of waves is discussed. The remainder of the article describes some of the experimental evidence supporting the interpretation of the plasma behaviour at high laser-light intensities in terms of the excitation of plasma waves and the subsequent heating of plasma by these waves. (author)

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Infrared Emission From Inorganic and Organic Substances

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Yang, C.S; Brown, E; Hommerich, U; Trivedi, S. B; Snyder, A. P; Samuels, A. C

2006-01-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been established as a powerful method for identifying trace elemental contaminants by analyzing the atomic spectral emission lines that result subsequent to plasmas generated by laser power...

Remote imaging laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy using nanosecond pulses from a mobile lidar system.

Science.gov (United States)

Grönlund, Rasmus; Lundqvist, Mats; Svanberg, Sune

2006-08-01

A mobile lidar system was used in remote imaging laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) experiments. Also, computer-controlled remote ablation of a chosen area was demonstrated, relevant to cleaning of cultural heritage items. Nanosecond frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser pulses at 355 nm were employed in experiments with a stand-off distance of 60 meters using pulse energies of up to 170 mJ. By coaxial transmission and common folding of the transmission and reception optical paths using a large computer-controlled mirror, full elemental imaging capability was achieved on composite targets. Different spectral identification algorithms were compared in producing thematic data based on plasma or fluorescence light.

Laser-induced fluorescence measurements of argon and xenon ion velocities near the sheath boundary in 3 ion species plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yip, Chi-Shung; Hershkowitz, Noah [Department of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Severn, Greg [Department of Physics, University of San Diego, San Diego, California 92110 (United States); Baalrud, Scott D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 (United States)

2016-05-15

The Bohm sheath criterion is studied with laser-induced fluorescence in three ion species plasmas using two tunable diode lasers. Krypton is added to a low pressure unmagnetized DC hot filament discharge in a mixture of argon and xenon gas confined by surface multi-dipole magnetic fields. The argon and xenon ion velocity distribution functions are measured at the sheath-presheath boundary near a negatively biased boundary plate. The potential structures of the plasma sheath and presheath are measured by an emissive probe. Results are compared with previous experiments with Ar–Xe plasmas, where the two ion species were observed to reach the sheath edge at nearly the same speed. This speed was the ion sound speed of the system, which is consistent with the generalized Bohm criterion. In such two ion species plasmas, instability enhanced collisional friction was demonstrated [Hershkowitz et al., Phys. Plasmas 18(5), 057102 (2011).] to exist which accounted for the observed results. When three ion species are present, it is demonstrated under most circumstances the ions do not fall out of the plasma at their individual Bohm velocities. It is also shown that under most circumstances the ions do not fall out of the plasma at the system sound speed. These observations are also consistent with the presence of the instabilities.

Diagnostics of laser ablated plasma plumes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amoruso, S.; Toftmann, B.; Schou, Jørgen

2004-01-01

The effect of an ambient gas on the expansion dynamics of laser ablated plasmas has been studied for two systems by exploiting different diagnostic techniques. First, the dynamics of a MgB2 laser produced plasma plume in an Ar atmosphere has been investigated by space-and time-resolved optical...... of the laser ablated plasma plume propagation in a background gas. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved....

Experiments on laser driven beatwave acceleration in a ponderomotively formed plasma channel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tochitsky, S.Ya.; Narang, R.; Filip, C.V.; Clayton, C.E.; Marsh, K.A.; Joshi, C.; Musumeci, P.; Yoder, R.B.; Rosenzweig, J.B.; Pellegrini, C.

2004-01-01

A 10 ps long beam of 12 MeV electrons is externally injected into a ∼3-cm long plasma beatwave excited in a laser ionized hydrogen gas. The electrons have been accelerated to 50 MeV with a gradient of ∼1.3 GeV/m. It is shown that when the effective plasma wave amplitude-length product is limited by ionization-induced defocusing (IID), acceleration of electrons is significantly enhanced by using a laser pulse with a duration longer than the time required for ions to move across the laser spot size. Both experiments and two-dimensional simulations reveal that, in this case, self-guiding of the laser pulse in a ponderomotively formed plasma channel occurs. This compensates for IID and drives the beatwave over the longer length compared to when such a channel is not present

Electron Hole Plasma in Solids Induced by Ultrashort XUV Laser Pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rethfeld, B.; Medvedev, N.

2013-01-01

Irradiation of solids with ultrashort XUV laser pulses leads to an excitation of electrons from the valence band and deeper shells to the conduction band leading to a nonequilibrium highly energetic electron hole plasma. We investigate the transient electron dynamics in a solid semiconductor and metal (silicon and aluminum, respectively) under irradiation with a femtosecond VUV to XUV laser pulse as used in experiments with the Free Electron Laser FLASH at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. Applying the Asymptotical Trajectory Monte-Carlo technique, we obtain the transient energy distribution of the excited and ionized electrons within the solid. Photon absorption by electrons in different bands and secondary excitation and ionization processes are simulated event by event. The method was extended in order to take into account the electronic band structure and Pauli's principle for electrons in the conduction band. In this talk we review our results on the dynamics of the transient electron-hole plasma, in particular its transient density and energy distribution in dependence on laser and material parameters. For semiconductors we introduce the concept of an ''effective energy gap'' for collective electronic excitation, which can be applied to estimate the free electron density after high-intensity ultrashort XUV laser pulse irradiation. For aluminum we demonstrate that the electronic spectra depend on the relaxation kinetics of the excited electronic subsystem. Experimentally observed spectra of emitted photons from irradiated aluminum can be explained well with our results. (author)

Development of the Megahertz Planar Laser-induced Fluorescence Diagnostic for Plasma Turbulence Visualization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuritsyn, Aleksey; Levinton, Fred M.

2004-01-01

A megahertz LIF-based diagnostic system for measuring ion density fluctuations in two spatial dimensions is described. Well resolved spatial and temporal 2D images of turbulent structures will be useful in understanding ion turbulence in magnetically confined plasmas which is a key factor in the performance of fusion experimental devices. A sheet beam of a megahertz repetition rate tunable Alexandrite laser is used to excite ion emission from argon plasma. The fluorescence emitted from the plane of the laser beam is detected with a narrow band interference filter and intensified ultra-fast CCD camera providing 2D images of relative ion density fluctuations every microsecond. It is expected that the edge plasma on fusion devices will be accessible to this technique

Atmospheric pressure plasma-assisted femtosecond laser engraving of aluminium

Science.gov (United States)

Gerhard, Christoph; Gimpel, Thomas; Tasche, Daniel; Koch née Hoffmeister, Jennifer; Brückner, Stephan; Flachenecker, Günter; Wieneke, Stephan; Schade, Wolfgang; Viöl, Wolfgang

2018-05-01

In this contribution, we report on the impact of direct dielectric barrier discharge argon plasma at atmospheric pressure on femtosecond laser engraving of aluminium. It is shown that the assisting plasma strongly affects the surface geometry and formation of spikes of both laser-engraved single lines and patterns of adjacent lines with an appropriate overlap. Further, it was observed that the overall ablation depth is significantly increased in case of large-scale patterning whereas no notable differences in ablation depth are found for single lines. Several possible mechanisms and underlying effects of this behaviour are suggested. The increase in ablation depth is supposed to be due to a plasma-induced removal of debris particles from the cutting point via charging and oxidation as supported by EDX analysis of the re-solidified debris. Furthermore, the impact of a higher degree of surface wrinkling as well as direct interactions of plasma species with the aluminium surface on the ablation process are discussed.

TRACE ANALYSIS BY LASER-EXCITED ATOMIC FLUORESCENCE WITH ATOMIZATION IN A PULSED PLASMA

OpenAIRE

Lunyov , O.; Oshemkov , S.; Petrov , A.

1991-01-01

The possibilities of plasma atomization for laser fluorescence trace analysis are discussed. Pulsed hot hollow cathode discharge was used for analysis of solutions and powdered samples. The high voltage spark and laser-induced breakdown (laser spark) were used as atomizers of metal-containing atmospheric aerosols. Detection limits were improved by means of temporal background selection.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for determination of Cr in soils from Brits District, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Ambushe

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS is an emerging analytical technique, which can be used to perform elemental analysis of any material, irrespective of its physical state. In this study, the LIBS technique has been applied for quantification of total Cr in soil samples collected from polluted areas of Brits, North West Province, South Africa. A Q-switched neodymium-yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd-YAG laser (10 Hz, λ = 1064 nm was employed for generation of a laser-induced plasma on the surface of the soil sample. The atomic emission lines were recorded using an Andor Shamrock SR-303i spectrometer, fitted with an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD camera. Detailed investigation of experimental parameters such as gate delay time, gate width and laser pulse energy was conducted. Soil samples were dried, finely ground, sieved and thereafter pelletized before LIBS analysis. Calibration curve for the quantification of Cr was constructed using certified reference materials of soils and sediments. The concentrations of Cr in soil samples varied from 111 to 3180 mg/kg. In order to test the validity of the LIBS results, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS was also employed for determination of Cr. The results obtained using LIBS were found to be in good agreement with those of ICP-MS.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v29i3.3

Hollow laser plasma self-confined microjet generation

Science.gov (United States)

Sizyuk, Valeryi; Hassanein, Ahmed; CenterMaterials under Extreme Environment Team

2017-10-01

Hollow laser beam produced plasma (LPP) devices are being used for the generation of the self-confined cumulative microjet. Most important place by this LPP device construction is achieving of an annular distribution of the laser beam intensity by spot. An integrated model is being developed to detailed simulation of the plasma generation and evolution inside the laser beam channel. The model describes in two temperature approximation hydrodynamic processes in plasma, laser absorption processes, heat conduction, and radiation energy transport. The total variation diminishing scheme in the Lax-Friedrich formulation for the description of plasma hydrodynamic is used. Laser absorption and radiation transport models on the base of Monte Carlo method are being developed. Heat conduction part on the implicit scheme with sparse matrixes using is realized. The developed models are being integrated into HEIGHTS-LPP computer simulation package. The integrated modeling of the hollow beam laser plasma generation showed the self-confinement and acceleration of the plasma microjet inside the laser channel. It was found dependence of the microjet parameters including radiation emission on the hole and beam radiuses ratio. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation, PIRE project.

Staging of laser-plasma accelerators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinke, S., E-mail: ssteinke@lbl.gov; Tilborg, J. van; Benedetti, C.; Geddes, C. G. R.; Gonsalves, A. J.; Nakamura, K.; Schroeder, C. B.; Esarey, E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Daniels, J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600MB Eindhoven (Netherlands); Swanson, K. K.; Shaw, B. H.; Leemans, W. P. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

2016-05-15

We present results of an experiment where two laser-plasma-accelerator stages are coupled at a short distance by a plasma mirror. Stable electron beams from the first stage were used to longitudinally probe the dark-current-free, quasi-linear wakefield excited by the laser of the second stage. Changing the arrival time of the electron beam with respect to the second stage laser pulse allowed reconstruction of the temporal wakefield structure, determination of the plasma density, and inference of the length of the electron beam. The first stage electron beam could be focused by an active plasma lens to a spot size smaller than the transverse wake size at the entrance of the second stage. This permitted electron beam trapping, verified by a 100 MeV energy gain.

The Validity of a Paraxial Approximation in the Simulation of Laser Plasma Interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyole, E. M.

2000-01-01

accurately and efficiently even for large computational domains. This paper explores the domain of validity of a paraxial approximation in laser-plasma simulations. High-intensity lasers may create high-density plasmas and induce extremely large and abrupt plasma density variations. Such variations in high-density plasmas can reflect or scatter a significant fraction of the incident light. However, as stated, the paraxial approximation assumes negligible backscatter. Furthermore, interference of incident and scattered waves may produce regions of high-intensity light that the partial approximation fails to predict accurately. Certainly, the paraxial approximation serves as an excellent approximation in many problems. We hope to provide insight into when it accurately models the problem and when it does not

Channeling and stability of laser pulses in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sprangle, P.; Krall, J.; Esarey, E.

1995-01-01

A laser pulse propagating in a plasma is found to undergo a combination of hose and modulation instabilities. The coupled equations for the laser beam envelope and centroid are derived and solved for a laser pulse of finite length propagating through either a uniform plasma or preformed plasma density channel. The laser envelope equation describes the pulse self-focusing and optical guiding in plasmas and is used to analyze the self-modulation instability. The laser centroid equation describes the transverse motion of the laser pulse (hosing) in plasmas. Significant coupling between the centroid and envelope motion as well as harmonic generation in the envelope can occur. In addition, the transverse profile of the generated wake field is strongly affected by the laser hose instability. Methods to reduce the laser hose instability are demonstrated. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Imaging femtosecond laser-induced electronic excitation in glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao Xianglei; Mao, Samuel S.; Russo, Richard E.

2003-01-01

While substantial progress has been achieved in understanding laser ablation on the nanosecond and picosecond time scales, it remains a considerable challenge to elucidate the underlying mechanisms during femtosecond laser material interactions. We present experimental observations of electronic excitation inside a wide band gap glass during single femtosecond laser pulse (100 fs, 800 nm) irradiation. Using a femtosecond time-resolved imaging technique, we measured the evolution of a laser-induced electronic plasma inside the glass and calculated the electron number density to be on the order of 10 19 cm -3

Prospects for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for biomedical applications: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vivek Kumar; Rai, Awadhesh Kumar

2011-09-01

We review the different spectroscopic techniques including the most recent laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for the characterization of materials in any phase (solid, liquid or gas) including biological materials. A brief history of the laser and its application in bioscience is presented. The development of LIBS, its working principle and its instrumentation (different parts of the experimental set up) are briefly summarized. The generation of laser-induced plasma and detection of light emitted from this plasma are also discussed. The merit and demerits of LIBS are discussed in comparison with other conventional analytical techniques. The work done using the laser in the biomedical field is also summarized. The analysis of different tissues, mineral analysis in different organs of the human body, characterization of different types of stone formed in the human body, analysis of biological aerosols using the LIBS technique are also summarized. The unique abilities of LIBS including detection of molecular species and calibration-free LIBS are compared with those of other conventional techniques including atomic absorption spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy, and X-ray fluorescence.

Expansion of laser-produced plasmas into vacuum and ambient gases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, T.

2001-01-01

Presented in this thesis are observations recorded using optical absorption spectroscopy, laser induced fluorescence imaging and Langmuir probe techniques for a low temperature laser-produced plasma. The plasma was generated using a KrF (248 nm, 30ns) excimer laser system focused onto a solid target surface (Ti, Mg) housed within a vacuum chamber. Plasma studies were made within vacuum (x10 -5 mTorr) and low pressure ( 2 and Ar ambient gas environments. Experimental results from a volumetric integration technique for plasma species number densities are used to yield total plume content for a laser-produced plasma in vacuum. This was used to determine the threshold power density for titanium neutral species formation. Temporally resolved electron number densities were determined using a Langmuir probe technique, for a titanium plasma generated under 532 nm and 248 nm ablation, for similar power densities and spot geometries. In this case the ablation thresholds for titanium are determined in terms of average power density and peak power density. Plume opacity problems which limit OAS and LIF diagnostic techniques are minimised using novel ablations configurations. Both techniques used, the 'composite target' and the 'plasma-jet' configurations, rely on reducing the optical thickness of the plume. The plasma-jets produced were allowed to interact with an ambient argon background and the ion/neutral ratio of the plasma-jet determined. Laser-produced plasma interactions with a d.c. biased copper mesh ∼15 mm in front of the target surface are observed. Self-emission studies of plume interactions with the mesh are monitored for positive and negative biases. Also ground-state neutral and ion interactions with the mesh are observed using OAS and LIF techniques to study individual species effects. A simple model was used to predict the perturbations to charged species distributions resulting from positive and negative applied potentials, but more complex interaction

UV excimer laser and low temperature plasma treatments of polyamide materials

Science.gov (United States)

Yip, Yiu Wan Joanne

Polyamides have found widespread application in various industrial sectors, for example, they are used in apparel, home furnishings and similar uses. However, the requirements for high quality performance products are continually increasing and these promote a variety of surface treatments for polymer modification. UV excimer laser and low temperature plasma treatments are ideally suited for polyamide modification because they can change the physical and chemical properties of the material without affecting its bulk features. This project aimed to study the modification of polyamides by UV excimer laser irradiation and low temperature plasma treatment. The morphological changes in the resulting samples were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM). The chemical modifications were studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and chemical force microscopy (CFM). Change in degree of crystallinity was examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). After high-fluence laser irradiation, topographical results showed that ripples of micrometer size form on the fibre surface. By contrast, sub-micrometer size structures form on the polyamide surface when the applied laser energy is well below its ablation threshold. After high-fluence laser irradiation, chemical studies showed that the surface oxygen content of polyamide is reduced. A reverse result is obtained with low-fluence treatment. The DSC result showed no significant change in degree of crystallinity in either high-fluence or low-fluence treated samples. The same modifications in polyamide surfaces were studied after low temperature plasma treatment with oxygen, argon or tetrafluoromethane gas. The most significant result was that the surface oxygen content of polyamide increased after oxygen and argon plasma treatments. Both treatments induced many hydroxyl (-OH) and carboxylic acid (-COOH

Interaction of intense laser pulses with neutral gases and preformed plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackinnon, A. J.; Borghesi, M.; Iwase, A.; Jones, M. W.; Willi, O.

1998-01-01

The interaction of a high intensity laser pulse with a neutral gas or preformed plasma has been studied over a wide range of target and laser conditions. It was found that the propagation of 2ps laser pulses (λ=1.054μm, P=5-10TW, I∼5x10 14 -1x10 14 -1x10 18 Wcm -2 ) in neutral gases with atomic densities greater than 0.001 of critical was strongly influenced by ionisation induced refraction. Preformed density channels were effective in overcoming refraction but the channel length was found to be limited by ionization induced defocusing of the prepulse

Generation conditions of CW Diode Laser Sustained Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Nishimoto, Koji; Matsui, Makoto; Ono, Takahiro

2016-09-01

Laser sustained plasma was generated using 1 kW class continuous wave diode laser. The laser beam was focused on the seed plasma generated by arc discharge in 1 MPa xenon lamp. The diode laser has advantages of high energy conversion efficiency of 80%, ease of maintenance, compact size and availability of conventional quartz based optics. Therefore, it has a prospect of further development compared with conventional CO2 laser. In this study, variation of the plasma shape caused by laser power is observed and also temperature distribution in the direction of plasma radius is measured by optical emission spectroscopy.

A technique for temperature mapping in fluorocarbon plasmas using planar laser-induced fluorescence of CF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steffens, Kristen L.; Sobolewski, Mark A.

2004-01-01

Planar laser-induced fluorescence measurements of CF A 2 Σ + -X 2 Π(1,0) were used to determine two-dimensional maps of rotational temperature in CF 4 plasmas. Measured rotational temperatures are expected to be in equilibrium with the gas temperature due to the long chemical lifetime of CF relative to the collision rate. Experiments were performed in the capacitively coupled Gaseous Electronics Conference rf reference cell at pressures from 26.7 Pa (200 mTorr) to 107 Pa (800 mTorr) and powers of 10 to 30 W deposited in the plasma. Temperatures, which ranged from 273±15 K to 480±15 K, were fairly axially symmetric and increased with pressure and power. All plasmas were coolest near the electrodes, which provided a substantial sink for heat in the plasma. Highest temperatures were found at a radial position near the edge of the electrodes. The strong temperature gradients observed in the plasmas can have serious effects on density measurements that probe a single rotational level, as well as on reaction rate constants and interpretation of density gradients. The effects of water-cooling the electrodes and the presence of a silicon wafer on temperature were also measured

Energy transport in laser produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Key, M.H.

1989-06-01

The study of energy transport in laser produced plasmas is of great interest both because it tests and develops understanding of several aspects of basic plasma physics and also because it is of central importance in major applications of laser produced plasmas including laser fusion, the production of intense X-ray sources, and X-ray lasers. The three sections cover thermal electrons (energy transport in one dimension, plane targets and lateral transport from a focal spot, thermal smoothing, thermal instabilities), hot electrons (preheating in one dimension, lateral transport from a focal spot) and radiation (preheating in one dimension, lateral transport and smoothing, instabilities). (author)

The feasibility of TEA CO2 laser-induced plasma for spectrochemical analysis of geological samples in simulated Martian conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Savovic, Jelena; Stoiljkovic, Milovan; Kuzmanovic, Miroslav; Momcilovic, Milos; Ciganovic, Jovan; Rankovic, Dragan; Zivkovic, Sanja; Trtica, Milan

2016-04-01

The present work studies the possibility of using pulsed Transversely Excited Atmospheric (TEA) carbon dioxide laser as an energy source for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis of rocks under simulated Martian atmospheric conditions. Irradiation of a basaltic rock sample with the laser intensity of 56 MW cm- 2, in carbon-dioxide gas at a pressure of 9 mbar, created target plasma with favorable conditions for excitation of all elements usually found in geological samples. Detection limits of minor constituents (Ba, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Sr, V, and Zr) were in the 3 ppm-30 ppm range depending on the element. The precision varied between 5% and 25% for concentration levels of 1% to 10 ppm, respectively. Generally, the proposed relatively simple TEA CO2 laser-LIBS system provides good sensitivity for geological studies under reduced CO2 pressure.

Influence of Er:YAG and Nd:YAG wavelengths on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements under air or helium atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Detalle, Vincent; Sabsabi, Mohamad; St-Onge, Louis; Hamel, Andre; Heon, Rene

2003-01-01

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is widely dependent on the conditions of its implementation in terms of laser characteristics (wavelength, energy, and pulse duration), focusing conditions, and surrounding gas. In this study two wavelengths, 1.06 and 2.94 μm, obtained with Nd:YAG and Er:YAG lasers, respectively, were used for LIBS analysis of aluminum alloy samples in two conditions of surrounding gas. The influence of the laser wavelength on the laser-produced plasma was studied for the same irradiance by use of air or helium as a buffer gas at atmospheric pressure. We used measurements of light emission to determine the temporally resolved space-averaged electron density and plasma temperature in the laser-induced plasma. We also examined the effect of laser wavelength in two different ambient conditions in terms of spectrochemical analysis by LIBS. The results indicate that the effect of the surrounding gas depends on the laser wavelength and the use of an Er:YAG laser could increase linearity by limiting the leveling in the calibration curve for some elements in aluminum alloys. There is also a significant difference between the plasma induced by the two lasers in terms of electron density and plasma temperature

Acoustic Measurement of the Length of Air-plasma Filament Induced by an Intense Femtosecond Laser Pulse

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Wu Si-Qing

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper studies acoustic emission from air-plasma filament induced by a strong femtosecond laser pulse. Acoustic signal is detected with a sensitive directional microphone. Acoustic measurement provides a new method to determine the length of a filament. Compared with other methods, acoustic measurement is simpler, more sensitive, and with higher spatial resolution. Information of filament length is experimentally acquired through measuring acoustic pressure at different position of filament. On the basis of the relationship between acoustic signal and free-electron density in filament, profile of free-electron density is demonstrated

Lasers as a tool for plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jahoda, F.C.

1981-01-01

Lasers can be used as non-perturbative probes to measure many plasma parameters. Plasma refractivity is primarily a function of electron density, and interferometric measurements of phase changes with either pulsed or CW lasers can determine this parameter with spatial or temporal resolution over several orders of magnitude sensitivity by using laser wavelengths from the near uv to the far infrared. Laser scattering from free electrons yields the most fundamental electron temperature measurements in the plasma parameter range where individual scattering events are uncorrelated in phase and ion temperature or plasma wave and turbulence structure in the opposite limit. Laser scattering from bound electrons can be many orders of magnitude larger if the laser is matched to appropriate resonance frequencies and can be used in specialized circumstances for measuring low-ionized impurity or dominant species neutral concentrations and velocities

Nonlinear laser-plasma interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Kaw, P. K.

2017-12-01

Soon after lasers were invented, there was tremendous curiosity on the nonlinear phenomena which would result in their interaction with a fully ionized plasma. Apart from the basic interest, it was realized that it could be used for the achievement of nuclear fusion in the laboratory. This led us to a paper on the propagation of a laser beam into an inhomogeneous fusion plasma, where it was first demonstrated that light would go up to the critical layer (where the frequency matches the plasma frequency) and get reflected from there with a reflection coefficient of order unity. The reflection coefficient was determined by collisional effects. Since the wave was expected to slow down to near zero group speed at the reflection point, the dominant collision frequency determining the reflection coefficient was the collision frequency at the reflection point. It turned out that the absorption of light was rather small for fusion temperatures. This placed a premium on investigation of nonlinear phenomena which might contribute to the absorption and penetration of the light into high-density plasma. An early investigation showed that electron jitter with respect to ions would be responsible for the excitation of decay instabilities which convert light waves into electrostatic plasma waves and ion waves near the critical frequency. These electrostatic waves would then get absorbed into the plasma even in the collisionless case and lead to plasma heating which is nonlinear. Detailed estimates of this heating were made. Similar nonlinear processes which could lead to stimulated scattering of light in the underdense region (ω >ω _p) were investigated together with a number of other workers. All these nonlinear processes need a critical threshold power for excitation. Another important process which was discovered around the same time had to do with filamentation and trapping of light when certain thresholds were exceeded. All of this work has been extensively verified in

Physics of laser plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rubenchik, A.; Witkowski, S.

1991-01-01

This book provides a comprehensive review of laser fusion plasma physics and contains the most up-to-date information on high density plasma physics and radiation transport, useful for astrophysicists and high density physicists

Comparative study of the expansion dynamics of laser-driven plasma and shock wave in in-air and underwater ablation regimes

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thao T. P.; Tanabe, Rie; Ito, Yoshiro

2018-03-01

We compared the expansion characteristics of the plasma plumes and shock waves generated in laser-induced shock process between the two ablation regimes: in air and under water. The observation was made from the initial moment when the laser pulse hit the target until 1.5 μs. The shock processes were driven by focusing a single laser pulse (1064 nm, FWHM = 13 ns) onto the surface of epoxy-resin blocks using a 40-mm focal length lens. The estimated laser intensity at the target plane is approximate to 9 ×109Wcm-2 . We used the fast-imaging technique to observe the expansion of the plasma plume and a custom-designed time-resolved photoelasticity imaging technique to observe the propagation of shock waves with the time resolution of nanoseconds. We found that at the same intensity of the laser beam, the plasma expansion during the laser pulse follows different mechanisms: the plasma plume that grows in air follows a radiation-wave model while a detonation-wave model can explain the expansion of the plasma plume induced in water. The ideal blast wave theory can be used to predict the decay of the shock wave in air but is not appropriate to describe the decay of the shock wave induced under water.

Sensing signatures mediated by chemical structure of molecular solids in laser-induced plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano, Jorge; Moros, Javier; Laserna, J Javier

2015-03-03

Laser ablation of organic compounds has been investigated for almost 30 years now, either in the framework of pulse laser deposition for the assembling of new materials or in the context of chemical sensing. Various monitoring techniques such as atomic and molecular fluorescence, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and optical emission spectroscopy have been used for plasma diagnostics in an attempt to understand the spectral signature and potential origin of gas-phase ions and fragments from organic plasmas. Photochemical and photophysical processes occurring within these systems are generally much more complex than those suggested by observation of optical emission features. Together with laser ablation parameters, the structural and chemical-physical properties of molecules seem to be closely tied to the observed phenomena. The present manuscript, for the first time, discusses the role of molecular structure in the optical emission of organic plasmas. Factors altering the electronic distribution within the organic molecule have been found to have a direct impact on its ensuing optical emissions. The electron structure of an organic molecule, resulting from the presence, nature, and position of its atoms, governs the breakage of the molecule and, as a result, determines the extent of atomization and fragmentation that has proved to directly impact the emissions of CN radicals and C2 dimers. Particular properties of the molecule respond more positively depending on the laser irradiation wavelength, thereby redirecting the ablation process through photochemical or photothermal decomposition pathways. It is of paramount significance for chemical identification purposes how, despite the large energy stored and dissipated by the plasma and the considerable number of transient species formed, the emissions observed never lose sight of the original molecule.

Summary Report of Working Group 6: Laser-Plasma Acceleration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leemans, Wim P.; Downer, Michael; Siders, Craig

2006-01-01

A summary is given of presentations and discussions in the Laser-Plasma Acceleration Working Group at the 2006 Advanced Accelerator Concepts Workshop. Presentation highlights include: widespread observation of quasi-monoenergetic electrons; good agreement between measured and simulated beam properties; the first demonstration of laser-plasma acceleration up to 1 GeV; single-shot visualization of laser wakefield structure; new methods for measuring <100 fs electron bunches; and new methods for 'machining' laser-plasma accelerator structures. Discussion of future direction includes: developing a roadmap for laser-plasma acceleration beyond 1 GeV; a debate over injection and guiding; benchmarking simulations with improved wake diagnostics; petawatt laser technology for future laser-plasma accelerators

Trends in laser-plasma-instability experiments for laser fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, R.P.

1991-01-01

Laser-plasma instability experiments for laser fusion have followed three developments. These are advances in the technology and design of experiments, advances in diagnostics, and evolution of the design of high-gain targets. This paper traces the history of these three topics and discusses their present state. Today one is substantially able to produce controlled plasma conditions and to diagnose specific instabilities within such plasmas. Experiments today address issues that will matter for future laser facilities. Such facilities will irradiate targets with ∼1 MJ of visible or UV light pulses that are tens of nanoseconds in duration, very likely with a high degree of spatial and temporal incoherence. 58 refs., 4 figs

Electron Parametric Instabilities Driven by Relativistically Intense Laser Light in Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, H. C.; Mason, P.; Parr, D. M.

1999-08-01

A unified treatment of electron parametric instabilities driven by ultraintense laser light in plasma is described. It is valid for any intensity, polarization, plasma density, and scattering geometry. The method is applied to linearly polarized light in both underdense plasma and overdense plasma accessible by self-induced transparency. New options arise which are hybrids of stimulated Raman scattering, the two plasmon decay, the relativistic modulational and filamentation instabilities, and stimulated harmonic generation. There is vigorous growth over a wide range of wave numbers and harmonics.

Laser-plasma interaction with an adaptive optics wavefront-corrected laser beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, K.

2008-12-01

The propagation of an intense laser beam trough a preformed plasma is of particular interest in order to achieve laser inertial confinement fusion. Experiments carried out with a near-diffraction limited laser beam, producing a single hot spot interacting with the plasma, delivered new results, presented in this Ph.D. dissertation. In particular the first experimental observation of the filament instability confirms the numerous theoretical and numerical studies on the subject. Beam spreading and filament-ion thresholds are studied thanks to near-field and far-field images, with respect to laser intensity, time and space, and plasma transverse velocity. Same diagnostics have been applied to the stimulated Brillouin scattered light, enabling the first observation of the transverse Brillouin activity in the plasma. (author)

Laser frequency modulation with electron plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, T. J.; Latorre, V. R.

1972-01-01

When laser beam passes through electron plasma its frequency shifts by amount proportional to plasma density. This density varies with modulating signal resulting in corresponding modulation of laser beam frequency. Necessary apparatus is relatively inexpensive since crystals are not required.

Interaction of a laser-produced copper plasma jet with ambient plastic plasma

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kasperczuk, A.; Pisarczyk, T.; Badziak, J.; Borodziuk, S.; Chodukowski, T.; Gus’kov, S.Yu.; Demchenko, N. N.; Klir, D.; Kravarik, J.; Kubes, P.; Rezac, K.; Ullschmied, Jiří; Krouský, Eduard; Mašek, Karel; Pfeifer, Miroslav; Rohlena, Karel; Skála, Jiří; Pisarczyk, P.

2011-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 9 (2011), 095003-095003 ISSN 0741-3335 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E09092; GA MŠk(CZ) LC528 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508; CEZ:AV0Z10100523 Keywords : laser produced-plasma jets * PALS laser * laser ablation * copper plasma * plastic plasma Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 2.425, year: 2011 http://iopscience.iop.org/0741-3335/53/9/095003/pdf/0741-3335_53_9_095003.pdf

A plasma microlens for ultrashort high power lasers

Science.gov (United States)

Katzir, Yiftach; Eisenmann, Shmuel; Ferber, Yair; Zigler, Arie; Hubbard, Richard F.

2009-07-01

We present a technique for generation of miniature plasma lens system that can be used for focusing and collimating a high intensity femtosecond laser pulse. The plasma lens was created by a nanosecond laser, which ablated a capillary entrance. The spatial configuration of the ablated plasma focused a high intensity femtosecond laser pulse. This configuration offers versatility in the plasma lens small f-number for extremely tight focusing of high power lasers with no damage threshold restrictions of regular optical components.

A plasma microlens for ultrashort high power lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katzir, Yiftach; Eisenmann, Shmuel; Ferber, Yair; Zigler, Arie; Hubbard, Richard F.

2009-01-01

We present a technique for generation of miniature plasma lens system that can be used for focusing and collimating a high intensity femtosecond laser pulse. The plasma lens was created by a nanosecond laser, which ablated a capillary entrance. The spatial configuration of the ablated plasma focused a high intensity femtosecond laser pulse. This configuration offers versatility in the plasma lens small f-number for extremely tight focusing of high power lasers with no damage threshold restrictions of regular optical components.

Development of a Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) System with a Tunable Diode Laser

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, Hyun Jong; Do, Jeong Jun; You, Hyun Jong; Choi, Geun Sik; Lee, Myoung Jae; Chung, Kyu Sun

2005-01-01

The Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) is known as one of the most powerful techniques for measurements of ion velocity distribution function (IVDF) and ion temperature by means of Doppler broadening and Doppler shift. The dye lasers are generally used for LIF system with 611.66 nm (in vac.) for Ar ion, the low power diode laser was also proposed by Severn et al with the wavelength of 664.55 nm and 668.61 nm (in vac.) for Ar ion. Although the diode laser has the disadvantages of low power and small tuning range, it can be used for LIF system at the low temperature plasmas. A tunable diode laser with 668.614 nm of center wavelength and 10 GHz mode hop free tuning region has been used for our LIF system and it can be measured the ion temperature is up to 1 eV. The ion temperature and velocity distribution function have been measured with LaB6 plasma source, which is about 0.23 eV with Ar gas and 2.2 mTorr working pressure

Plasma Arc Augmented CO2 laser welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagger, Claus; Andersen, Mikkel; Frederiksen, Niels

2001-01-01

In order to reduce the hardness of laser beam welded 2.13 mm medium strength steel CMn 250, a plasma arc has been used simultaneously with a 2.6 kW CO2 laser source. In a number of systematic laboratory tests, the plasma arc current, plasma gas flow and distance to the laser source were varied...... with all laser parameters fixed. The welds were quality assessed and hardness measured transversely to the welding direction in the top, middle and root of the seam. In the seams welded by laser alone, hardness values between 275 and 304 HV1 were measured, about the double of the base material, 150 HV1...

Temporal and spatial dynamics of laser-induced aluminum plasma in argon background at atmospheric pressure: Interplay with the ambient gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Q.L.; Motto-Ros, V.; Lei, W.Q.; Boueri, M.; Bai, X.S.; Zheng, L.J.; Zeng, H.P.; Yu, J.

2010-01-01

Laser ablation in background gas implies supplementary complexities with respect to what happens in the vacuum. It is however essential to understand in detail the involved mechanisms for a number of applications requiring the ablation to be performed in an ambient gas at relative high pressure, such as pulsed-laser deposition, or laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. In this paper, the expansion of a vapor plume ablated from an aluminum target into an argon gas at atmospheric pressure is experimentally investigated using time- and space-resolved emission spectroscopy. The obtained results provide a detailed description of the interplay between the vapor and the gas. The electron density, the temperature and the number densities (and therefore the partial pressures) of aluminum vapor and argon gas have been measured in and surrounding the vapor plume. Our observations show a confinement of the vapor plume by the gas, which is expected as predicted by the usual hydrodynamics models. The result is a plasma core with quite uniform distributions in electron density, temperature and number densities. Such plasma core presents an ideal emission source for spectroscopic applications. It is however evidenced by our observations that a large amount of argon is mixed into the aluminum plume in the plasma core, which invalidates in the experimental conditions that we used, the hydrodynamic 'piston' model where the background gas is pushed out by the shock wave surrounding the vapor plume. Instead, other mechanisms such as laser-supported detonation wave should play important roles in the early stage of the expansion of the plasma for the determination of its morphology at longer delays.

A two photon absorption laser induced fluorescence diagnostic for fusion plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magee, R. M.; Galante, M. E.; McCarren, D.; Scime, E. E. [Physics Department, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506 (United States); Boivin, R. L.; Brooks, N. H.; Groebner, R. J.; Hill, D. N. [General Atomics, San Diego, California 92121 (United States); Porter, G. D. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

2012-10-15

The quality of plasma produced in a magnetic confinement fusion device is influenced to a large extent by the neutral gas surrounding the plasma. The plasma is fueled by the ionization of neutrals, and charge exchange interactions between edge neutrals and plasma ions are a sink of energy and momentum. Here we describe a diagnostic capable of measuring the spatial distribution of neutral gas in a magnetically confined fusion plasma. A high intensity (5 MW/cm{sup 2}), narrow bandwidth (0.1 cm{sup -1}) laser is injected into a hydrogen plasma to excite the Lyman {beta} transition via the simultaneous absorption of two 205 nm photons. The absorption rate, determined by measurement of subsequent Balmer {alpha} emission, is proportional to the number of particles with a given velocity. Calibration is performed in situ by filling the chamber to a known pressure of neutral krypton and exciting a transition close in wavelength to that used in hydrogen. We present details of the calibration procedure, including a technique for identifying saturation broadening, measurements of the neutral density profile in a hydrogen helicon plasma, and discuss the application of the diagnostic to plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak.

A two photon absorption laser induced fluorescence diagnostic for fusion plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Magee, R M; Galante, M E; McCarren, D; Scime, E E; Boivin, R L; Brooks, N H; Groebner, R J; Hill, D N; Porter, G D

2012-10-01

The quality of plasma produced in a magnetic confinement fusion device is influenced to a large extent by the neutral gas surrounding the plasma. The plasma is fueled by the ionization of neutrals, and charge exchange interactions between edge neutrals and plasma ions are a sink of energy and momentum. Here we describe a diagnostic capable of measuring the spatial distribution of neutral gas in a magnetically confined fusion plasma. A high intensity (5 MW/cm(2)), narrow bandwidth (0.1 cm(-1)) laser is injected into a hydrogen plasma to excite the Lyman β transition via the simultaneous absorption of two 205 nm photons. The absorption rate, determined by measurement of subsequent Balmer α emission, is proportional to the number of particles with a given velocity. Calibration is performed in situ by filling the chamber to a known pressure of neutral krypton and exciting a transition close in wavelength to that used in hydrogen. We present details of the calibration procedure, including a technique for identifying saturation broadening, measurements of the neutral density profile in a hydrogen helicon plasma, and discuss the application of the diagnostic to plasmas in the DIII-D tokamak.

Optimization of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for coal powder analysis with different particle flow diameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yao, Shunchun, E-mail: epscyao@scut.edu.cn [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640 (China); State Key Laboratory of Pulsed Power Laser Technology, Electronic Engineering Institute, Hefei 230037 (China); Xu, Jialong; Dong, Xuan; Zhang, Bo; Zheng, Jianping [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640 (China); Lu, Jidong, E-mail: jdlu@scut.edu.cn [School of Electric Power, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640 (China)

2015-08-01

The on-line measurement of coal is extremely useful for emission control and combustion process optimization in coal-fired plant. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy was employed to directly analyze coal particle flow. A set of tapered tubes were proposed for beam-focusing the coal particle flow to different diameters. For optimizing the measurement of coal particle flow, the characteristics of laser-induced plasma, including optical breakdown, the relative standard deviation of repeated measurement, partial breakdown spectra ratio and line intensity, were carefully analyzed. The comparison of the plasma characteristics among coal particle flow with different diameters showed that air breakdown and the random change in plasma position relative to the collection optics could significantly influence on the line intensity and the reproducibility of measurement. It is demonstrated that the tapered tube with a diameter of 5.5 mm was particularly useful to enrich the coal particles in laser focus spot as well as to reduce the influence of air breakdown and random changes of plasma in the experiment. - Highlights: • Tapered tube was designed for beam-focusing the coal particle flow as well as enriching the particles in laser focus spot. • The characteristics of laser-induced plasma of coal particle flow were investigated carefully. • An appropriate diameter of coal particle flow was proven to benefit for improving the performance of LIBS measurement.

Emission study of alumina plasma produced by a KrF laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yahiaoui, K., E-mail: kyahiaoui@cdta.dz [Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, cité 20 aout 1956, BP 17, Baba Hassen, Alger (Algeria); Abdelli-Messaci, S.; Messaoud-Aberkane, S.; Kerdja, T. [Centre de Développement des Technologies Avancées, cité 20 aout 1956, BP 17, Baba Hassen, Alger (Algeria); Kellou, H. [Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene, BP 32, El-Allia, 16111 Bab-Ezzouar, Alger (Algeria)

2014-03-01

We report on the plasma emission formed from an α-alumina target when irradiated by laser into vacuum and through oxygen gas. Two diagnostic tools have been used: ICCD camera fast imaging and optical emission spectroscopy. The alumina plasma was induced by a KrF laser beam at a wavelength of 248 nm and pulse duration of 25 ns. The laser fluence was set to 8 J/cm{sup 2} and the oxygen pressure was varied from 0.01 to 5 mbar. By using the ICCD camera, two dimensional images of the plasma expansion were taken at different times. Depending on oxygen pressure and time delay, the expansion behavior of the plasma showed free expansion, plume splitting, shock wave formation, hydrodynamic instability and deceleration of the plume. Using optical emission spectroscopy, the plasma emission revealed the presence of neutral Al I, Al II, Al III into vacuum and under oxygen ambiance. The molecular emission of aluminum oxide (AlO) was detected only in oxygen ambiance. It should be noted that no oxygen lines were observed. Finally, the evolution of the electronic temperature along the normal axis from the target surface, into vacuum, was estimated using the Boltzmann plot method. - Highlights: • Ablated mass measurements of α-alumina target irradiated by a laser in nanosecond regime. • Optical emission spectroscopy of alumina plasma. • Fast imaging diagnostic of alumina plume using ICCD camera.

Laser-heating of hydrogen plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foeldes, I.B.; Ignacz, P.N.; Kocsis, G.

1990-10-01

The possibility of creating a fully ionized hydrogen plasma to investigate the capture of slow antiprotons is discussed. Laser heating of the initially discharge-created arc or Z-pinch plasma is proposed. Within the framework of a simple 1-dimensional model based on the energy balance equation alone it is shown that plasma equilibrium can be sustained for 10 μs. A simple pulsed CO 2 laser with this pulse duration and an energy of about 10-30 J is sufficient for heating. (author) 16 refs.; 3 figs

Chemical consequences of laser-induced breakdown in molecular gases

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Babánková, Dagmar; Civiš, Svatopluk; Juha, Libor

2006-01-01

Roč. 30, č. 2-3 (2006), s. 75-88 ISSN 0079-6727 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/06/1278; GA MŠk LC510; GA MŠk LC528; GA MŠk 1P04LA235 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503; CEZ:AV0Z10100523 Keywords : laser spark * laser-induced dielectric breakdown * laser-plasma chemistry Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.500, year: 2006

Experimental study of laser-plasma interaction physics with short laser wavelength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labaune, C.; Amiranoff, F.; Fabre, E.; Matthieussent, G.; Rousseaux, C.; Baton, S.

1989-01-01

Many non-linear processes can affect laser-plasma coupling in fusion experiments. The interaction processes of interest involve three or more waves, including the incident electromagnetic wave and various selections of electromagnetic, electrostatic and accoustic waves. Whenever plasma waves are involved (stimulated Raman scattering, two-plasmon decay instability, parametric decay instability and others), energetic electrons are created through the various damping processes of these waves: these energetic electrons in turn deleteriously affect the compression phase in laser fusion experiments through pre-heating of the fuel core. Some parametric processes lead primarily to loss of incident laser energy (stimulated Brillouin scattering) while others, such as filamentation, lead to strongly enhanced local laser intensities through the focusing of part (or all) of the laser beam into filaments of very small dimensions with a concomitant expulsion of the plasma out of these regions. So filamentation destroys the uniformity of energy deposition in the plasma and prevents high compression efficiency of the target. These interaction effects are typically of parametric nature, with their thresholds and growth rates depending critically on plasma scale lengths. Since these scale lengths increase with available laser energy and since millimeter sized plasmas are expected from reactor targets which will be used in direct drive implosion experiments, a good understanding of these processes and their saturation mechanisms becomes imperative. We report here the results on absolute energy measurements and time-resolved spectra of SRS and SBS obtained in various types of plasmas where the major changes were the inhomogeneity scale lengths. (author) 7 refs., 7 figs

Rapid localized deactivation of self-assembled monolayers by propagation-controlled laser-induced plasma and its application to self-patterning of electronics and biosensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jongsu; Kwon, Seung-Gab; Back, Seunghyun; Kang, Bongchul

2018-03-01

We present a novel laser-induced surface treatment process to rapidly control the spatial wettabilities of various functional solutions with submicron to micron resolutions. Ultrathin hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that little absorb typical laser lights due to short penetration depth were selectively deactivated by instantaneous interaction with laser-induced metallic plasmas. The spatial region of the deactivated SAM, which corresponds to process resolution, is adjustable by controlling the spatial propagation of the plasma. This method leads to the parallel formation of hydrophilic functional solutions on glass substrates with a minimum resolution on the submicron scale. To show its feasibility in device engineering fields, this method was applied to the cost-effective fabrication of electronics and biosensors. Rapid self-patterning of electronic and biological functional solutions (silver nanoparticle solution and streptavidin protein solution) was successfully realized by selective deactivation of two different SAMs (tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyltrichlorosilane (FOTS) for electronics and the hetero-hybrid SAM (octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)/2-[methoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl] trichlorosilane (PEG)) for biosensors). As a result, this method can be exploited for the rapid and low-cost fabrication of various thin film devices such as electronics, biosensors, energy, displays, and photonics.

Interactions between laser and arc plasma during laser-arc hybrid welding of magnesium alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Liming; Chen, Minghua

2011-09-01

This paper presents the results of the investigation on the interactions between laser and arc plasma during laser-arc hybrid welding on magnesium alloy AZ31B using the spectral diagnose technique. By comparably analyzing the variation in plasma information (the shape, the electron temperature and density) of single tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding with the laser-arc hybrid welding, it is found that the laser affects the arc plasma through the keyhole forming on the workpiece. Depending on the welding parameters there are three kinds of interactions taking place between laser and arc plasma.

Growth of surface structures correlated with structural and mechanical modifications of brass by laser-induced Si plasma ions implantation

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Shahbaz; Bashir, Shazia; Rafique, M. Shahid; Yousaf, Daniel

2017-04-01

Laser-produced Si plasma is employed as an ion source for implantation on the brass substrate for its surface, structural, and mechanical modifications. Thomson parabola technique is employed for the measurement of energy and flux of Si ions using CR-39. In response to stepwise increase in number of laser pulses from 3000 to 12000, four brass substrates were implanted by laser-induced Si plasma ions of energy 290 keV at different fluxes ranging from 45 × 1012 to 75 × 1015 ions/cm2. SEM analysis reveals the formation of nano/micro-sized irregular shaped cavities and pores for the various ion fluxes for varying numbers of laser pulses from 3000 to 9000. At the maximum ion flux for 12,000 pulses, distinct and organized grains with hexagonal and irregular shaped morphology are revealed. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) analysis exhibits that a new phase of CuSi (311) is identified which confirms the implantation of Si ions in brass substrate. A significant decrease in mechanical properties of implanted brass, such as Yield Stress (YS), Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS), and hardness, with increasing laser pulses from 3000 to 6000 is observed. However, with increasing laser pulses from 9000 to a maximum value of 12,000, an increase in mechanical properties like hardness, YS, and UTS is observed. The generation as well as annihilation of defects, recrystallization, and intermixing of Si precipitates with brass matrix is considered to be responsible for variations in surface, structural, and mechanical modifications of brass.

Principles of laser-plasma accelerators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malka, V.; Mora, P.

2009-01-01

The continuing development of powerful laser systems has permitted to extend the interaction of laser beams with matter far into the relativistic domain in which extremely high electric and magnetic fields are generated. Thanks to these tremendous fields, that only plasma can support and sustain, new and compact approaches for producing energetic particle beams have been recently achieved (for example the bubble regime and the colliding laser pulses scheme). The incredible progress of these laser-plasma accelerators has allowed physicists to produce high quality beams of energetic radiation and particles. These beams have interesting properties such as shortness, brightness and spatial quality, and could lend themselves to applications in many fields, including medicine (radiotherapy, proton therapy, imaging), radiation biology (short-time-scale), chemistry (radiolysis), physics and material science (radiography, electron and photon diffraction), security (material inspection), and of course accelerator science. Stimulated by the advent of compact and powerful lasers, with moderate costs and high repetition rate, this research field has witnessed considerable growth in the past few years, and the promises of laser-plasma accelerators are in tremendous progress. The recent years in particular have seen spectacular progress in the acceleration of electrons and of ions, both in terms of energy and in terms of quality of the beams. (authors)

Accuracy enhancement of laser induced breakdown spectra using permittivity and size optimized plasma confinement rings.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, An; Guo, Shuai; Wazir, Nasrullah; Chai, Ke; Liang, Liang; Zhang, Min; Hao, Yan; Nan, Pengfei; Liu, Ruibin

2017-10-30

The inevitable problems in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy are matrix effect and statistical fluctuation of the spectral signal, which can be partly avoided by utilizing a proper confined unit. The dependences of spectral signal enhancement on relative permittivity were studied by varying materials to confine the plasma, which include polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE), nylon/dacron, silicagel, and nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) with the relative permittivity 2.2, ~3.3, 3.6, 8~13, 15~22. We found that higher relative permittivity rings induce stronger enhancement ability, which restricts the energy dissipation of plasma better and due to the reflected electromagnetic wave from the wall of different materials, the electromagnetic field of plasma can be well confined and makes the distribution of plasma more orderly. The spectral intensities of the characteristic lines Si I 243.5 nm and Si I 263.1 nm increased approximately 2 times with relative permittivity values from 2.2 to ~20. The size dependent enhancement of PTFE was further checked and the maximum gain was realized by using a confinement ring with a diameter size of 5 mm and a height of 3 mm (D5mmH3mm), and the rings with D2mmH1mm and D3mmH2mm also show higher enhancement factor. In view of peak shift, peak lost and accidental peaks in the obtained spectra were properly treated in data progressing; the spectral fluctuation decreased drastically for various materials with different relative permittivities as confined units, which means the core of plasma is stabilized, attributing to the confinement effect. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis in coal shows wonderful results-the prediction fitting coefficient R 2 reaches 0.98 for ash and 0.99 for both volatile and carbon.

Laser thermonuclear fusion with force confinement of hot plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korobkin, V.V.; Romanovsky, M.Y.

1994-01-01

The possibility of the utilization of laser radiation for plasma heating up to thermonuclear temperatures with its simultaneous confinement by ponderomotive force is investigated. The plasma is located inside a powerful laser beam with a tubelike section or inside a cavity of duct section, formed by several intersecting beams focused by cylindrical lenses. The impact of various physical processes upon plasma confinement is studied and the criteria of plasma confinement and maintaining of plasma temperature are derived. Plasma and laser beam stability is considered. Estimates of laser radiation energy necessary for thermonuclear fusion are presented

Propagation velocities of laser-produced plasmas from copper wire targets and water droplets

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Kyo-Dong; Alexander, Dennis R.

1994-01-01

Experiments were performed to determine the plasma propagation velocities resulting from KrF laser irradiation of copper wire target (75 microns diameter) and water droplets (75 microns diameter) at irradiance levels ranging from 25 to 150 GW/sq cm. Plasma propagation velocities were measured using a streak camera system oriented orthogonally to the high-energy laser propagation axis. Plasma velocities were studied as a function of position in the focused beam. Results show that both the shape of the plasma formation and material removal from the copper wire are different and depend on whether the targets are focused or slightly defocused (approximately = 0.5 mm movement in the beam axis). Plasma formation and its position relative to the target is an important factor in determining the practical focal point during high-energy laser interaction with materials. At irradiance of 100 GW/sq cm, the air plasma has two weak-velocity components which propagate toward and away from the incident laser while a strong-velocity component propagates away from the laser beam as a detonation wave. Comparison of the measured breakdown velocities (in the range of 2.22-2.27 x 10(exp 5) m/s) for air and the value calculated by the nonlinear breakdown wave theory at irradiance of 100 GW/sq cm showed a quantitative agreement within approximately 50% while the linear theory and Gaussian pulse theory failed. The detonation wave velocities of plasma generated from water droplets and copper wire targets for different focused cases were measured and analyzed theoretically. The propagation velocities of laser-induced plasma liquid droplets obtained by previous research are compared with current work.

Studies of bandwidth dependence of laser plasma instabilities driven by the Nike laser

Science.gov (United States)

Weaver, J.; Kehne, D.; Obenschain, S.; Serlin, V.; Schmitt, A. J.; Oh, J.; Lehmberg, R. H.; Brown, C. M.; Seely, J.; Feldman, U.

2012-10-01

Experiments at the Nike laser facility of the Naval Research Laboratory are exploring the influence of laser bandwidth on laser plasma instabilities (LPI) driven by a deep ultraviolet pump (248 nm) that incorporates beam smoothing by induced spatial incoherence (ISI). In early ISI studies with longer wavelength Nd:glass lasers (1054 nm and 527 nm),footnotetextObenschain, PRL 62(1989);Mostovych, PRL 62(1987);Peyser, Phys. Fluids B 3(1991). stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and the two plasmon decay instability were reduced when wide bandwidth ISI (δν/ν˜0.03-0.19%) pulses irradiated targets at moderate to high intensities (10^14-10^15 W/cm^2). The current studies will compare the emission signatures of LPI from planar CH targets during Nike operation at large bandwidth (δν˜1THz) to observations for narrower bandwidth operation (δν˜0.1-0.3THz). These studies will help clarify the relative importance of the short wavelength and wide bandwidth to the increased LPI intensity thresholds observed at Nike. New pulse shapes are being used to generate plasmas with larger electron density scale-lengths that are closer to conditions during pellet implosions for direct drive inertial confinement fusion.

Instantaneous imaging of ozone in a gliding arc discharge using photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence

Science.gov (United States)

Larsson, Kajsa; Hot, Dina; Gao, Jinlong; Kong, Chengdong; Li, Zhongshan; Aldén, Marcus; Bood, Joakim; Ehn, Andreas

2018-04-01

Ozone vapor, O3, is here visualized in a gliding arc discharge using photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence. Ozone is imaged by first photodissociating the O3 molecule into an O radical and a vibrationally hot O2 fragment by a pump photon. Thereafter, the vibrationally excited O2 molecule absorbs a second (probe) photon that further transits the O2-molecule to an excited electronic state, and hence, fluorescence from the deexcitation process in the molecule can be detected. Both the photodissociation and excitation processes are achieved within one 248 nm KrF excimer laser pulse that is formed into a laser sheet and the fluorescence is imaged using an intensified CCD camera. The laser-induced signal in the vicinity of the plasma column formed by the gliding arc is confirmed to stem from O3 rather than plasma produced vibrationally hot O2. While both these products can be produced in plasmas a second laser pulse at 266 nm was utilized to separate the pump- from the probe-processes. Such arrangement allowed lifetime studies of vibrationally hot O2, which under these conditions were several orders of magnitude shorter than the lifetime of plasma-produced ozone.

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a rapid tool for material analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, T; Gondal, M A

2013-01-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a novel technique for elemental analysis based on laser-generated plasma. In this technique, laser pulses are applied for ablation of the sample, resulting in the vaporization and ionization of sample in hot plasma which is finally analyzed by the spectrometer. The elements are identified by their unique spectral signatures. LIBS system was developed for elemental analysis of solid and liquid samples. The developed system was applied for qualitative as well as quantitative measurement of elemental concentration present in iron slag and open pit ore samples. The plasma was generated by focusing a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm on test samples to study the capabilities of LIBS as a rapid tool for material analysis. The concentrations of various elements of environmental significance such as cadmium, calcium, magnesium, chromium, manganese, titanium, barium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc etc., in these samples were determined. Optimal experimental conditions were evaluated for improving the sensitivity of developed LIBS system through parametric dependence study. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) results were compared with the results obtained using standard analytical technique such as inductively couple plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP). Limit of detection (LOD) of our LIBS system were also estimated for the above mentioned elements. This study demonstrates that LIBS could be highly appropriate for rapid online analysis of iron slag and open pit waste.

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a rapid tool for material analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, T.; Gondal, M. A.

2013-06-01

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a novel technique for elemental analysis based on laser-generated plasma. In this technique, laser pulses are applied for ablation of the sample, resulting in the vaporization and ionization of sample in hot plasma which is finally analyzed by the spectrometer. The elements are identified by their unique spectral signatures. LIBS system was developed for elemental analysis of solid and liquid samples. The developed system was applied for qualitative as well as quantitative measurement of elemental concentration present in iron slag and open pit ore samples. The plasma was generated by focusing a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm on test samples to study the capabilities of LIBS as a rapid tool for material analysis. The concentrations of various elements of environmental significance such as cadmium, calcium, magnesium, chromium, manganese, titanium, barium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc etc., in these samples were determined. Optimal experimental conditions were evaluated for improving the sensitivity of developed LIBS system through parametric dependence study. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) results were compared with the results obtained using standard analytical technique such as inductively couple plasma emission spectroscopy (ICP). Limit of detection (LOD) of our LIBS system were also estimated for the above mentioned elements. This study demonstrates that LIBS could be highly appropriate for rapid online analysis of iron slag and open pit waste.

Nano-material size dependent laser-plasma thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

EL Sherbini, Ashraf M.; Parigger, Christian G.

2016-10-01

The reduction of laser fluence for initiation of plasma was measured for zinc monoxide nanoparticles of diameters in the range of 100 to 20 nm. In a previous work by EL Sherbini and Parigger [Wavelength Dependency and Threshold Measurements for Nanoparticle-enhanced Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Spectrochim. Acta Part B 116 (2016) 8-15], the hypothesis of threshold dependence on particle size leads to the interpretation of the experiments for varying excitation wavelengths with fixed, 30 nm nanomaterial. The experimental results presented in this work were obtained with 1064 nm Nd:YAG radiation and confirm and validate the suspected reduction due to quenching of the thermal conduction length to the respective sizes of the nanoparticles.

Tomography of laser fusion plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ceglio, N.M.

1977-01-01

Experimental programs exist in a number of laboratories throughout the world to test the feasibility of using powerful laser systems to drive the implosion of hydrogen isotope fuel to thermonuclear burn conditions. In a typical experiment multiple laser beams are focused onto a glass microshell (typically 50 μm to 200 μm diameter) filled with an equimolar D-T gas mixture. X-ray and particle emissions from the target provide important information about the hydrodynamic implosion of the glass shell and the associated compression and heating of the D-T fuel. Standard diagnostics for imaging such emissions are the grazing incidence reflection (GIR) x-ray microscope and the pinhole camera. Recently, a particular coded imaging technique, Zone Plate Coded Imaging (ZPCI), has been successfully used for x-ray and particle microscopy of laser fusion plasmas. ZPCI is highly attractive for investigating laser produced plasmas because it possesses a tomographic capability not shared by either the GIR or pinhole imaging techniques. This presentation provides a brief discussion of the tomographic potential of ZPCI. In addition, the first tomographic x-ray images (tomographic resolution approximately 74 μm) of a laser produced plasma are presented

Laser radiation forces in laser-produced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamper, J.A.

1975-01-01

There are two contributions to laser radiation forces acting on the electrons. Transfer of momentum from the fields to the electrons results in a field pressure contribution and occurs whenever there is absorption or reflection. The quiver pressure contribution, associated with electron quiver motion, is due to inhomogeneous fields inducing momentum transfer within the electron system. It is shown that the ponderomotive force with force density, (epsilon-1)/8πdel 2 >, does not include the field contribution and does not lead to a general description of macroscopic processes. A theory is discussed which does give a general macroscopic description (absorption, reflection, refraction, and magnetic field generation) and which reduces to the ponderomotive force for purely sinusoidal fields in a neutral, homogeneous, nonabsorbing plasma

The use of laser beams for plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gex, J.P.; Jolas, A.; Launspach, J.; Schirmann, D.

1975-01-01

The optical properties of lasers allow them to be a promising source for plasma diagnosis. The Q-switched lasers provide the opportunity to make observations in a very short time interval down to a few picoseconds. The laser space and time coherence properties allow interferometric measurements of plasma electron densities. Thus in the experiments of laser-matter interactions, the radiation obtained by frequency conversion of the Nd: glass laser emission is used for density measurements (up to 10 20 cm -3 ) in small scale plasmas (approximately equal to 1mm). Owing to the monochromaticity and high intensity of the Q-switched laser radiation, density fluctuations and microscopic instabilities of the plasma can be studied by Thompson scattering measurements. Finally, some statistically isotropic media become birefringent under the action of the strong electrical field of the laser beam radiation. This effect can be used for laser pulse duration measurements in a range not exceeding a few picoseconds [fr

Time-resolved spectroscopy of laser-induced breakdown in water

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Robert J.; Hammer, Daniel X.; Noojin, Gary D.; Stolarski, David J.; Rockwell, Benjamin A.; Roach, William P.

1996-05-01

Laser pulses of 60-ps and 80-ps at a wavelength of 532-nm and 1064-nm respectively were used to produce laser induced breakdown in triple-distilled water. The resulting luminescent flash from the plasma was captured with an imaging spectrograph coupled to a streak camera with a 5-ps time resolution. The wavelength range was 350 to 900-nm. We present the resulting experimental data which gives plasma duration and time-resolved spectral information. Plasma temperature is also computed from the data. All parameters are presented at a pulse energy of 1-mJ and are compared with time-integrated spectra at the same pulse duration and at 5 to 7-ns pulse duration in a similar energy range.

Development of 2D laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) system in high-density helicon plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teshigahara, Naoto; Shinohara, Shunjiro; Kuwahara, Daisuke; Watanabe, Masaki; Yamagata, Yukihiko

2014-01-01

Lifetimes of most electric propulsion devices are limited owing to electrode erosion and contamination by plasmas. To overcome this problem, a Helicon Electrodeless Advanced Thruster (HEAT) was proposed by our research team. This scheme employs a high-density (∼10 13 cm -3 ) helicon plasma accelerated by the Lorentz force, which is produced by various acceleration methods. For feasibility of this method, a Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) system was developed. The LIF is a powerful tool for plasma diagnostics because it is a non-invasive method that allows high spatial resolution. Using the LIF, it is possible to deduce velocity distribution functions of different particles (ions, atoms, and molecules). In this paper, we report the details of our novel 2D LIF system as well as some preliminary experimental results. Argon ion velocity distributions at different axial and radial locations were obtained using the novel 2D system. Ion velocity was greatest (∼ 2.8 km/s) at z = -24 cm among all the points measured along the z-axis. Velocity values were approximately 2.7 and 3.2 km/s for radial positions of r = 0 and 3 cm, respectively. Ion temperature values were approximately 0.56 and 0.61 eV at r = 0 and 3 cm, respectively. (author)

Laser-induced interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, W.R.

1979-01-01

This dissertation discusses some of the new ways that lasers can be used to control the energy flow in a medium. Experimental and theoretical considerations of the laser-induced collision are discussed. The laser-induced collision is a process in which a laser is used to selectively transfer energy from a state in one atomic or molecular species to another state in a different species. The first experimental demonstration of this process is described, along with later experiments in which lasers were used to create collisional cross sections as large as 10 - 13 cm 2 . Laser-induced collisions utilizing both a dipole-dipole interaction and dipole-quadrupole interaction have been experimentally demonstrated. The theoretical aspects of other related processes such as laser-induced spin-exchange, collision induced Raman emission, and laser-induced charge transfer are discussed. Experimental systems that could be used to demonstrate these various processes are presented. An experiment which produced an inversion of the resonance line of an ion by optical pumping of the neutral atom is described. This type of scheme has been proposed as a possible method for constructing VUV and x-ray lasers

Effect of the three-dimensional structure of laser emission on the dynamics of low-threshold optical breakdown plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Anisimov, V. N.; Arutiunian, R. V.; Bol'Shov, L. A.; Derkach, O. N.; Kanevskii, M. F.

1989-03-01

The effect of the transverse structure of pulsed CO2 laser emission on the dynamics of laser-induced detonation waves propagating from a metal surface and on plasma transparency recovery is investigated theoretically and experimentally. Particular attention is given to breakdown initiation near the surface. It is suggested that the inclusion of refraction in the plasma into a self-consistent numerical mode is essential for the adequate quantitative description of experimental data on the interaction of laser emission with low-threshold optical breakdown plasmas.

Numerical study of laser-induced blast wave coupled with unsteady ionization processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogino, Y; Ohnishi, N; Sawada, K

2008-01-01

We present the results of the numerical simulation of laser-induced blast wave coupled with rate equations to clarify the unsteady property of ionization processes during pulse heating. From comparison with quasi-steady computations, the plasma region expands more widely, which is sustained by the inverse-bremsstrahlung since an ionization equilibrium does not establish at the front of the plasma region. The delayed relaxation leads to the rapid expansion of the driving plasma and enhances the energy conversion efficiency from a pulse heating laser to the blast wave

Interferometric studies of laser-created plasmas using compact soft x-ray lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunn, J; Nilsen, J; Moon, S; Keenan, R; Jankowska, E; Maconi, M C; Hammarsten, E C; Filevich, J; Hunter, J R; Smith, R F; Shlyaptsev, V; Rocca, J J

2003-01-01

We summarize results of several successful dense plasma diagnostics experiments realized by combining two different kinds of table-top soft x-ray lasers with an amplitude division interferometer based on diffraction grating beam splitters. In the first set of experiments this robust high throughput diffraction grating interferometer (DGI) was used with a 46.9 nm portable capillary discharge laser to study the dynamics of line focus and point focus laser-created plasmas. The measured electron density profiles, which differ significantly from those expected from a classical expansion, unveil important two-dimensional effects of the dynamics of these plasmas. A second DGI customized to operate in combination with a 14.7 nm Ni-like Pd transient gain laser was used to perform interferometry of line focus laser-created plasmas with picosecond time resolution. These measurements provide valuable new benchmarks for complex hydrodynamic codes and help bring new understanding of the dynamics of dense plasmas. The instrumentation and methodology we describe is scalable to significantly shorter wavelengths, and constitutes a promising scheme for extending interferometry to the study of very dense plasmas such as those investigated for inertial confinement fusion

Recent trends in atomic spectrometry with microwave-induced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broekaert, Jose A.C.; Siemens, Volker

2004-01-01

The state-of-the-art and trends of development in atomic spectrometry with microwave-induced plasmas (MIPs) since the 1998s are presented and discussed. This includes developments in devices for producing microwave plasma discharges, with reference also to miniaturized systems as well as to progress in sample introduction for microwave-induced plasmas, such as pneumatic and ultrasonic nebulization using membrane desolvation, to the further development of gaseous analyte species generation systems and to both spark and laser ablation (LA). The features of microwave-induced plasma mass spectrometry (MIP-MS) as an alternative to inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-MS are discussed. Recent work on the use of microwave-induced plasma atomic spectrometry for trace element determinations and monitoring, their use as tandem sources and for particle sizing are discussed. Recent applications of the coupling of gas chromatography and MIP atomic spectrometry for the determination of organometallic compounds of heavy metals such as Pb, Hg, Se and Sn are reviewed and the possibilities of trapping for sensitivity enhancement, as required for many applications especially in environmental work, are showed at the hand of citations from the recent literature

Effects of external magnetic field on harmonics generated in laser interaction with underdense plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faghihi-Nik, M.; Ghorbanalilu, M.; Shokri, B.

2010-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Generation of harmonic radiation is an important subject of laser plasma interaction and attracts great attention due to a wide range of applications. It has been seen that intense electromagnetic and quasi-static transverse magnetic fields are generated in laser plasma interaction. An extremely intense magnetic field (up to hundreds of MG) has been observed by experimental measurements in interaction of short laser pulses with plasma. These self-generated or applied magnetic fields affect the propagation of the laser pulses. In most laser interactions with homogeneous plasma, odd harmonics of laser frequency are generated. In this paper, we point out the possibility of even harmonics generation when a linearly polarized laser beam propagates in homogeneous plasma in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. It is shown that applying external field induces a transverse current density oscillating twice of the laser field which leds to generation of second harmonic radiation. This current density is derived using the perturbation method, and the steady state amplitude of the second harmonic obtained by solution of the wave equation. By the same procedure the current density and then the steady state amplitude of higher order harmonics are calculated. The efficiency of harmonic generation (the ratio of harmonic power to incident power) is a drastically function of the strength of external magnetic field. It is found that the efficiency of even harmonics is zero in the absence of magnetic field and increases as the magnetic field is increased. For odd harmonics, applying the external magnetic field enhances the generated harmonics as well. The conversion efficiency also increases with increase in plasma density and intensity of the laser beam.

[Research on the identification method of LTE condition in the laser-induced plasma].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Juan-juan; Huang, Dan; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Wei-guang; Dong, Lei; Yin, Wang-bao; Jia, Suo-tang

2014-12-01

Because of the poor accuracy of the commonly used Boltzmann plot method and double-line method, the Boltzmann-Maxwell distribution combined with the Saha-Eggert formula is proposed to improve the measurement accuracy of the plasma temperature; the simple algorithm for determining the linewidth of the emission line was established according to the relationship between the area and the peak value of the Gaussian formula, and the plasma electron density was calculated through the Stark broadening of the spectral lines; the method for identifying the plasma local thermal equilibrium (LTE) condition was established based on the McWhirter criterion. The experimental results show that with the increase in laser energy, the plasma temperature and electron density increase linearly; when the laser energy changes within 127~510 mJ, the plasma electron density changes in the range of 1.30532X10(17)~1.87322X10(17) cm(-3), the plasma temperature changes in the range of 12586~12957 K, and all the plasma generated in this experiment meets the LTE condition threshold according to the McWhirter criterion. For element Al, there exist relatively few observable lines at the same ionization state in the spectral region of the spectrometer, thus it is unable to use the Boltzmann plane method to calculate temperature. One hundred sets of Al plasma spectra were used for temperature measurement by employing the Saha-Boltzmann method and the relative standard deviation (RSD) value is 0.4%, and compared with 1.3% of the double line method, the accuracy has been substantially increased. The methods proposed can be used for rapid plasma temperature and electron density calculation, the LTE condition identification, and are valuable in studies such as free calibration, spectral effectiveness analysis, spectral temperature correction, the best collection location determination, LTE condition distribution in plasma, and so on.

Laser plasma focus produced in a ring target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saint-Hilaire, G.; Szili, Z.

1976-01-01

A new geometry for generating a laser-produced plasma is presented. A toroidal mirror is used to focus a CO 2 laser beam on the inside wall of a copper ring target. The plasma produced converges at the center of the ring where an axial plasma focus is formed. High-speed photography shows details of a plasma generated at a distance from the target surface. This new geometry could have important applications in the field of x-ray lasers

Studies of high repetition rate laser-produced plasma soft-X-ray amplifiers; Etudes d'amplificateurs plasma laser a haute cadence dans le domaine X-UV et applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cassou, K

2006-12-15

The progress made as well on the Ti:Sa laser system, as in the control and the knowledge of laser produced X-UV sources allowed the construction of a X-UV laser station dedicated to the applications. My thesis work falls under the development of this station and more particularly on the characterization of a X-UV laser plasma amplifier. The experimental study relates to the coupling improvement of the pump infra-red laser with plasma within the framework of the transient collisional X-UV laser generation. These X-UV lasers are generated in a plasma formed by the interaction of a solid target and a laser pulse of approximately 500 ps duration, followed by a second infra-red laser pulse known as of pump (about 5 ps) impinging on the target in grazing incidence. For the first time, a complete parametric study was undertaken on the influence of the grazing angle on the pumping of the amplifying medium. One of the results was to reach very high peak brightness about 10{sup 28} ph/s/mm{sup 2}/mrad{sup 2}/(0.1%bandwidth), which compares well with the free-electron laser brightness. Moreover, we modified then used a new two-dimensional hydrodynamic code with adaptive mesh refinement in order to understand the influence of the space-time properties of the infra-red laser on the formation and the evolution of the amplifying plasma. Our modeling highlighted the interest to use a super Gaussian transverse profile for the line focus leading to an increase in a factor two of the gain region size and a reduction of the electron density gradient by three orders of magnitude. These improvements should strongly increase the energy contained in X-UV laser beam. We thus used X-UV laser to study the appearance of transient defects produced by a laser IR on a beam-splitter rear side. We also began research on the mechanisms of DNA damage induced by a very intense X-UV radiation. (author)

Plasma Channel Diagnostic Based on Laser Centroid Oscillations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonsalves, Anthony; Nakamura, Kei; Lin, Chen; Osterhoff, Jens; Shiraishi, Satomi; Schroeder, Carl; Geddes, Cameron; Toth, Csaba; Esarey, Eric; Leemans, Wim

2010-01-01

A technique has been developed for measuring the properties of discharge-based plasma channels by monitoring the centroid location of a laser beam exiting the channel as a function of input alignment offset between the laser and the channel. The centroid position of low-intensity ( 14 Wcm -2 ) laser pulses focused at the input of a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide was scanned and the exit positions recorded to determine the channel shape and depth with an accuracy of a few %. In addition, accurate alignment of the laser beam through the plasma channel can be provided by minimizing laser centroid motion at the channel exit as the channel depth is scanned either by scanning the plasma density or the discharge timing. The improvement in alignment accuracy provided by this technique will be crucial for minimizing electron beam pointing errors in laser plasma accelerators.

Laser--plasma interaction in a theta-pinch geometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armstrong, W.T.

1978-06-01

Prompt stimulated Brillouin scatter (SBS) is studied in an experiment wherein a high power, pulsed CO 2 laser irradiates an independently produced, theta-pinch plasma. SBS does not significantly affect laser heating of the plasma. Measurements of density profiles and temperature histories permitted examination of laser refraction, local heating and net absorption. Refractive containment of the CO 2 laser beam by an on-axis density minimum was observed at early times during the laser pulse. However, refractive containment was lost at late times due to the diffusive loss of the density minimum. Classical modeling of the expected heating required ''bleached'' absorption to account for the observed heating. A plasma absorptivity of approximately 46% was inferred from calorimetry measurements at 250 mtorr fill pressure. These results confirm that classical heating and refraction dominated the laser-plasma interaction

Laser surface wakefield in a plasma column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorbunov, L.M.; Mora, P.; Ramazashvili, R.R.

2003-01-01

The structure of the wakefield in a plasma column, produced by a short intense laser pulse, propagating through a gas affected by tunneling ionization is investigated. It is shown that besides the usual plasma waves in the bulk part of the plasma column [see Andreev et al., Phys. Plasmas 9, 3999 (2002)], the laser pulse also generates electromagnetic surface waves propagating along the column boundary. The length of the surface wake wave substantially exceeds the length of the plasma wake wave and its electromagnetic field extends far outside the plasma column

Full melting of a two-dimensional complex plasma crystal triggered by localized pulsed laser heating

Science.gov (United States)

Couëdel, L.; Nosenko, V.; Rubin-Zuzic, M.; Zhdanov, S.; Elskens, Y.; Hall, T.; Ivlev, A. V.

2018-04-01

The full melting of a two-dimensional plasma crystal was induced in a principally stable monolayer by localized laser stimulation. Two distinct behaviors of the crystal after laser stimulation were observed depending on the amount of injected energy: (i) below a well-defined threshold, the laser melted area recrystallized; (ii) above the threshold, it expanded outwards in a similar fashion to mode-coupling instability-induced melting, rapidly destroying the crystalline order of the whole complex plasma monolayer. The reported experimental observations are due to the fluid mode-coupling instability, which can pump energy into the particle monolayer at a rate surpassing the heat transport and damping rates in the energetic localized melted spot, resulting in its further growth. This behavior exhibits remarkable similarities with impulsive spot heating in ordinary reactive matter.

Fast magnetic energy dissipation in relativistic plasma induced by high order laser modes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gu, Yanjun; Yu, Q.; Klimo, Ondřej; Esirkepov, T.Z.; Bulanov, S.V.; Weber, Stefan A.; Korn, Georg

2016-01-01

Roč. 4, Jun (2016), 1-5, č. článku e19. ISSN 2095-4719 R&D Projects: GA MŠk EF15_008/0000162 Grant - others:ELI Beamlines(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_008/0000162 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : high order laser mode * laser–plasma interaction * magnetic annihilation Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics

Interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with under-dense plasmas; Interaction d'impulsions laser ultra-courtes et ultra-intenses avec des plasmas sous denses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solodov, A

2000-12-15

Different aspects of interaction of ultra-short ultra-intense laser pulses with underdense plasmas are studied analytically and numerically. These studies can be interesting for laser-driven electron acceleration in plasma, X-ray lasers, high-order harmonic generation, initial confinement fusion with fast ignition. For numerical simulations a fully-relativistic particle code WAKE was used, developed earlier at Ecole Polytechnique. It was modified during the work on the thesis in the part of simulation of ion motion, test electron motion, diagnostics for the field and plasma. The studies in the thesis cover the problems of photon acceleration in the plasma wake of a short intense laser pulse, phase velocity of the plasma wave in the Self-Modulated Laser Wake-Field Accelerator (SM LWFA), relativistic channeling of laser pulses with duration of the order of a plasma period, ion dynamics in the wake of a short intense laser pulse, plasma wave breaking. Simulation of three experiments on the laser pulse propagation in plasma and electron acceleration were performed. Among the main results of the thesis, it was found that reduction of the plasma wave phase velocity in the SM LWFA is crucial for electron acceleration, only if a plasma channel is used for the laser pulse guiding. Self-similar structures describing relativistic guiding of short laser pulses in plasmas were found and relativistic channeling of initially Gaussian laser pulses of a few plasma periods in duration was demonstrated. It was shown that ponderomotive force of a plasma wake excited by a short laser pulse forms a channel in plasma and plasma wave breaking in the channel was analyzed in detail. Effectiveness of electron acceleration by the laser field and plasma wave was compared and frequency shift of probe laser pulses by the plasma waves was found in conditions relevant to the current experiments. (author)

Tritium-doping enhancement of polystyrene by ultraviolet laser and hydrogen plasma irradiation for laser fusion experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwasa, Yuki, E-mail: iwasa-y@ile.osaka-u.ac.jp [Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Yamanoi, Kohei; Iwano, Keisuke; Empizo, Melvin John F.; Arikawa, Yasunobu; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Sarukura, Nobuhiko; Shiraga, Hiroyuki; Takagi, Masaru; Norimatsu, Takayoshi; Azechi, Hiroshi [Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, 2-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 (Japan); Noborio, Kazuyuki; Hara, Masanori; Matsuyama, Masao [Hydrogen Isotope Research Center, Organization for Promotion of Research, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama 930-8555 (Japan)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Tritium-doped polystyrene films are fabricated by the Wilzbach method with UV laser and hydrogen plasma irradiation. • The 266-nm laser-irradiated, 355-nm laser-irradiated, and hydrogen plasma-irradiated polystyrene films exhibit higher PSL intensities and specific radioactivities than the non-irradiated sample. • Tritium doping by UV laser irradiation can be largely affected by the laser wavelength because of polystyrene’s absorption. • Hydrogen plasma irradiation results to a more uniform doping concentration even at low partial pressure and short irradiation time. • UV laser and plasma irradiations can be utilized to fabricate tritium-doped polystyrene shell targets for future laser fusion experiments. - Abstract: We investigate the tritium-doping enhancement of polystyrene by ultraviolet (UV) laser and hydrogen plasma irradiation. Tritium-doped polystyrene films are fabricated by the Wilzbach method with UV laser and hydrogen plasma. The 266-nm laser-irradiated, 355-nm laser-irradiated, and hydrogen plasma-irradiated polystyrene films exhibit higher PSL intensities and specific radioactivities than the non-irradiated sample. Tritium doping by UV laser irradiation can be largely affected by the laser wavelength because of polystyrene’s absorption. In addition, UV laser irradiation is more localized and concentrated at the spot of laser irradiation, while hydrogen plasma irradiation results to a more uniform doping concentration even at low partial pressure and short irradiation time. Both UV laser and plasma irradiations can nevertheless be utilized to fabricate tritium-doped polystyrene targets for future laser fusion experiments. With a high doping rate and efficiency, a 1% tritium-doped polystyrene shell target having 7.6 × 10{sup 11} Bq g{sup −1} specific radioactivity can be obtained at a short period of time thereby decreasing tritium consumption and safety management costs.

EFFECTS OF LASER RADIATION ON MATTER. LASER PLASMA: Thresholds of surface plasma formation by the interaction of laser pulses with a metal

Science.gov (United States)

Borets-Pervak, I. Yu; Vorob'ev, V. S.

1995-04-01

An analysis is made of a model of the formation of a surface laser plasma which takes account of the heating and vaporisation of thermally insulated surface microdefects. This model is used in an interpretation of experiments in which such a plasma has been formed by irradiation of a titanium target with microsecond CO2 laser pulses. A comparison with the experimental breakdown intensities is used to calculate the average sizes of microdefects and their concentration: the results are in agreement with the published data. The dependence of the delay time of plasma formation on the total energy in a laser pulse is calculated.

Guiding of laser pulses in plasma waveguides created by linearly-polarized femtosecond laser pulses

OpenAIRE

Lemos, N.; Cardoso, L.; Geada, J.; Figueira, G.; Albert, F.; Dias, J. M.

2018-01-01

We experimentally demonstrate that plasma waveguides produced with ultra-short laser pulses (sub-picosecond) in gas jets are capable of guiding high intensity laser pulses. This scheme has the unique ability of guiding a high-intensity laser pulse in a plasma waveguide created by the same laser system in the very simple and stable experimental setup. A hot plasma column was created by a femtosecond class laser that expands into an on-axis parabolic low density profile suitable to act as a wav...

Staging laser plasma accelerators for increased beam energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panasenko, Dmitriy; Shu, Anthony; Schroeder, Carl; Gonsalves, Anthony; Nakamura, Kei; Matlis, Nicholas; Cormier-Michel, Estelle; Plateau, Guillaume; Lin, Chen; Toth, Csaba; Geddes, Cameron; Esarey, Eric; Leemans, Wim

2008-01-01

Staging laser plasma accelerators is an efficient way of mitigating laser pump depletion in laser driven accelerators and necessary for reaching high energies with compact laser systems. The concept of staging includes coupling of additional laser energy and transporting the electron beam from one accelerating module to another. Due to laser damage threshold constraints, in-coupling laser energy with conventional optics requires distances between the accelerating modules of the order of 10m, resulting in decreased average accelerating gradient and complicated e-beam transport. In this paper we use basic scaling laws to show that the total length of future laser plasma accelerators will be determined by staging technology. We also propose using a liquid jet plasma mirror for in-coupling the laser beam and show that it has the potential to reduce distance between stages to the cm-scale.

D-D nuclear fusion processes induced in polyethylene foams by TW Laser-generated plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torrisi L.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Deuterium-Deuterium fusion processes were generated by focusing the 3 TW PALS Laser on solid deuterated polyethylene targets placed in vacuum. Deuterium ion acceleration of the order of 4 MeV was obtained using laser irradiance Iλ2 ∼ 5 × 1016 W μm2/cm2 on the target. Thin and thick targets, at low and high density, were irradiated and plasma properties were monitored “on line” and “off line”. The ion emission from plasma was monitored with Thomson Parabola Spectrometer, track detectors and ion collectors. Fast semiconductor detectors based on SiC and fast plastic scintillators, both employed in time-of-flight configuration, have permitted to detect the characteristic 3.0 MeV protons and 2.45 MeV neutrons emission from the nuclear fusion reactions. From massive absorbent targets we have evaluated the neutron flux by varying from negligible values up to about 5 × 107 neutrons per laser shot in the case of foams targets, indicating a reaction rate of the order of 108 fusion events per laser shot using “advanced targets”.

Assessment of Laser Induced Ablation Spectroscopy (LIAS) as a method for quantitative in situ surface diagnostic in plasma environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gierse, Niels Hannes Gustav

2014-01-01

In this work Laser Induced Ablation Spectroscopy (LIAS) is investigated as an in situ plasma surface interaction diagnostic for fusion reactors and fusion experiments. In LIAS an intensive laser pulse is used to ablate the material under investigation during plasma operation. Ablation products penetrate into the edge region of the plasma and are excited and ionized. In case of molecules and clusters additionally dissociation occurs. The emitted line radiation is observed by radiometric calibrated spectroscopy. Results from LIAS of W/C/Al/D-mixed layers and amorphous hydrocarbon layers are presented. Using a fast camera system time resolved measurements of the LIAS.process could be performed, allowing investigation of the temporal behavior of excitation, dissociation and ionization processes. For Tungsten, 90% of the LIAS light is observed within 10±3 μs after the laser pulse. In case of carbon within 20±3 μs. Additionally separation in time of LIAS emission and the LIBS emission caused by the laser pulse at the surface within single measurements was demonstrated. This allows the separate analysis of both processes in a coaxial setup which is foreseen for future experiments. The inverse photon efficiency of the Balmer D_α-emission from LIAS of a-C:D-layers was found to be [(D)/(XB)]"a"-"C":"D""L""I""A""S"_→"D_D__α=71±7. The plasma perturbation due to LIAS was investigated by laser energy density variation when ablating W/C/Al/D.mixed layers. Local plasma perturbation is found to increase with laser energy density. Balmer H_γ/H_δ - line intensity ratio measurements only show for ohmic discharges and the case of the lowest central density signs of local plasma perturbation in LIAS of graphite samples. A simple analytical model for local plasma perturbation during LIAS is introduced and evaluated. Qualitative agreement between the model and the above reported experimental observations is found; a stronger influence on local conditions is found by tungsten

Plasma Profile Measurements for Laser Fusion Research with the Nike KrF Laser

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jaechul; Weaver, J. L.; Serlin, V.; Obenschain, S. P.

2015-11-01

The grid image refractometer of the Nike laser facility (Nike-GIR) has demonstrated the capability of simultaneously measuring electron density (ne) and temperature (Te) profiles of coronal plasma. For laser plasma instability (LPI) research, the first Nike-GIR experiment successfully measured the plasma profiles in density regions up to ne ~ 4 ×1021 cm-3 (22% of the critical density for 248 nm light of Nike) using an ultraviolet probe laser (λp = 263 nm). The probe laser has been recently replaced with a shorter wavelength laser (λp = 213 nm, a 5th harmonic of the Nd:YAG laser) to diagnose a higher density region. The Nike-GIR system is being further extended to measure plasma profiles in the on-going experiment using 135°-separated Nike beam arrays for the cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) studies. We present an overview of the extended Nike-GIR arrangements and a new numerical algorithm to extract self-consistant plasma profiles with the measured quantities. Work supported by DoE/NNSA.

Coupling of laser energy into plasma channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dimitrov, D. A.; Giacone, R. E.; Bruhwiler, D. L.; Busby, R.; Cary, J. R.; Geddes, C. G. R.; Esarey, E.; Leemans, W. P.

2007-01-01

Diffractive spreading of a laser pulse imposes severe limitations on the acceleration length and maximum electron energy in the laser wake field accelerator (LWFA). Optical guiding of a laser pulse via plasma channels can extend the laser-plasma interaction distance over many Rayleigh lengths. Energy efficient coupling of laser pulses into and through plasma channels is very important for optimal LWFA performance. Results from simulation parameter studies on channel guiding using the particle-in-cell (PIC) code VORPAL [C. Nieter and J. R. Cary, J. Comput. Phys. 196, 448 (2004)] are presented and discussed. The effects that density ramp length and the position of the laser pulse focus have on coupling into channels are considered. Moreover, the effect of laser energy leakage out of the channel domain and the effects of tunneling ionization of a neutral gas on the guided laser pulse are also investigated. Power spectral diagnostics were developed and used to separate pump depletion from energy leakage. The results of these simulations show that increasing the density ramp length decreases the efficiency of coupling a laser pulse to a channel and increases the energy loss when the pulse is vacuum focused at the channel entrance. Then, large spot size oscillations result in increased energy leakage. To further analyze the coupling, a differential equation is derived for the laser spot size evolution in the plasma density ramp and channel profiles are simulated. From the numerical solution of this equation, the optimal spot size and location for coupling into a plasma channel with a density ramp are determined. This result is confirmed by the PIC simulations. They show that specifying a vacuum focus location of the pulse in front of the top of the density ramp leads to an actual focus at the top of the ramp due to plasma focusing, resulting in reduced spot size oscillations. In this case, the leakage is significantly reduced and is negligibly affected by ramp length

Prospective application of laser plasma propulsion in rocket technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Xin; Zhang Jie; Li Yingjun

2002-01-01

Interest in laser plasma propulsion is growing intensively. The interaction of high intensity short laser pulses with materials can produce plasma expansion with a velocity of hundreds of km/s. The specific impulse of ablative laser propulsion can be many tens of times greater than that of chemical rockets. The development and potential application of laser plasma propulsion are discussed

Comparison of the Detection Characteristics of Trace Species Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Laser Breakdown Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenzhen Wang

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The rapid and precise element measurement of trace species, such as mercury, iodine, strontium, cesium, etc. is imperative for various applications, especially for industrial needs. The elements mercury and iodine were measured by two detection methods for comparison of the corresponding detection features. A laser beam was focused to induce plasma. Emission and ion signals were detected using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS and laser breakdown time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LB-TOFMS. Multi-photon ionization and electron impact ionization in the plasma generation process can be controlled by the pressure and pulse width. The effect of electron impact ionization on continuum emission, coexisting molecular and atomic emissions became weakened in low pressure condition. When the pressure was less than 1 Pa, the plasma was induced by laser dissociation and multi-photon ionization in LB-TOFMS. According to the experimental results, the detection limits of mercury and iodine in N2 were 3.5 ppb and 60 ppb using low pressure LIBS. The mercury and iodine detection limits using LB-TOFMS were 1.2 ppb and 9.0 ppb, which were enhanced due to different detection features. The detection systems of LIBS and LB-TOFMS can be selected depending on the condition of each application.

CO laser interferometer for REB-plasma experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burmasov, V.S.; Kruglyakov, E.P.

1996-01-01

The Michelson carbon oxide laser interferometer for measuring plasma density in studies on REB-plasma interaction is described. A detail description of the interferometer and CO laser is presented. For a selection of a single wavelength laser operation the CaF 2 prism is applied. A Ge:Au photoconductor at 77 deg K is applied as the detector. The CO laser radiation at λ 5.34 μm coincides with the detector maximum sensitivity (of the order of 1000 V/W). This increases the interferometer sensitivity about ten times with respect to the He-Ne laser (λ = 3.39 μm) used as the source of light. The typical interferogram and time evolution of plasma density obtained at GOL-M device are presented. (author). 3 figs., 5 refs

CO laser interferometer for REB-plasma experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burmasov, V S; Kruglyakov, E P [Budker Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk (Russian Federation)

1997-12-31

The Michelson carbon oxide laser interferometer for measuring plasma density in studies on REB-plasma interaction is described. A detail description of the interferometer and CO laser is presented. For a selection of a single wavelength laser operation the CaF{sub 2} prism is applied. A Ge:Au photoconductor at 77 deg K is applied as the detector. The CO laser radiation at {lambda} 5.34 {mu}m coincides with the detector maximum sensitivity (of the order of 1000 V/W). This increases the interferometer sensitivity about ten times with respect to the He-Ne laser ({lambda} = 3.39 {mu}m) used as the source of light. The typical interferogram and time evolution of plasma density obtained at GOL-M device are presented. (author). 3 figs., 5 refs.

Determination of Plasma Screening Effects for Thermonuclear Reactions in Laser-generated Plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Yuanbin; Pálffy, Adriana, E-mail: yuanbin.wu@mpi-hd.mpg.de, E-mail: Palffy@mpi-hd.mpg.de [Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-03-20

Due to screening effects, nuclear reactions in astrophysical plasmas may behave differently than in the laboratory. The possibility to determine the magnitude of these screening effects in colliding laser-generated plasmas is investigated theoretically, having as a starting point a proposed experimental setup with two laser beams at the Extreme Light Infrastructure facility. A laser pulse interacting with a solid target produces a plasma through the Target Normal Sheath Acceleration scheme, and this rapidly streaming plasma (ion flow) impacts a secondary plasma created by the interaction of a second laser pulse on a gas jet target. We model this scenario here and calculate the reaction events for the astrophysically relevant reaction {sup 13}C({sup 4}He, n ){sup 16}O. We find that it should be experimentally possible to determine the plasma screening enhancement factor for fusion reactions by detecting the difference in reaction events between two scenarios of ion flow interacting with the plasma target and a simple gas target. This provides a way to evaluate nuclear reaction cross-sections in stellar environments and can significantly advance the field of nuclear astrophysics.

Studies of high repetition rate laser-produced plasma soft-X-ray amplifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassou, K.

2006-12-01

The progress made as well on the Ti:Sa laser system, as in the control and the knowledge of laser produced X-UV sources allowed the construction of a X-UV laser station dedicated to the applications. My thesis work falls under the development of this station and more particularly on the characterization of a X-UV laser plasma amplifier. The experimental study relates to the coupling improvement of the pump infra-red laser with plasma within the framework of the transient collisional X-UV laser generation. These X-UV lasers are generated in a plasma formed by the interaction of a solid target and a laser pulse of approximately 500 ps duration, followed by a second infra-red laser pulse known as of pump (about 5 ps) impinging on the target in grazing incidence. For the first time, a complete parametric study was undertaken on the influence of the grazing angle on the pumping of the amplifying medium. One of the results was to reach very high peak brightness about 10 28 ph/s/mm 2 /mrad 2 /(0.1%bandwidth), which compares well with the free-electron laser brightness. Moreover, we modified then used a new two-dimensional hydrodynamic code with adaptive mesh refinement in order to understand the influence of the space-time properties of the infra-red laser on the formation and the evolution of the amplifying plasma. Our modeling highlighted the interest to use a super Gaussian transverse profile for the line focus leading to an increase in a factor two of the gain region size and a reduction of the electron density gradient by three orders of magnitude. These improvements should strongly increase the energy contained in X-UV laser beam. We thus used X-UV laser to study the appearance of transient defects produced by a laser IR on a beam-splitter rear side. We also began research on the mechanisms of DNA damage induced by a very intense X-UV radiation. (author)

Collisional absorption of two laser beams in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohan, M.; Acharya, R.

1977-04-01

The collisional absorption of two laser beams is considered by solving the kinetic equation for the plasma electron. Results show that the simultaneous effect of two laser beams on the heating rate is greater as compared with the individual contribution of each laser beam when the two laser beams have a difference of frequencies equal to the plasma frequency

Controlling plasma distributions as driving forces for ion migration during fs laser writing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, Toney Teddy; Siegel, Jan; Hoyo, Jesus; Solis, Javier; Sotillo, Belen; Fernandez, Paloma

2015-01-01

The properties of structures written inside dielectrics with high repetition rate femtosecond lasers are known to depend strongly on the complex interplay of a large number of writing parameters. Recently, ion migration within the laser-excited volume has been identified as a powerful mechanism for changing the local element distribution and producing efficient optical waveguides. In this work it is shown that the transient plasma distribution induced during laser irradiation is a reliable monitor for predicting the final refractive index distribution of the waveguide caused by ion migration. By performing in situ plasma emission microscopy during the writing process inside a La-phosphate glass it is found that the long axis of the plasma distribution determines the axis of ion migration, being responsible for the local refractive index increase. This observation is also valid when strong positive or negative spherical aberration is induced, greatly deforming the focal volume and inverting the index profile. Even subtle changes in the writing conditions, such as an inversion of the writing direction (quill writing effect), show up in the form of a modified plasma distribution, which manifests as a modified index distribution. Finally, it is shown that the superior control over the waveguide properties employing the slit shaping technique is caused by the more confined plasma distribution produced. The underlying reasons for this unexpected result are discussed in terms of non-linear propagation and heat accumulation. (paper)

Controlling plasma distributions as driving forces for ion migration during fs laser writing

Science.gov (United States)

Teddy Fernandez, Toney; Siegel, Jan; Hoyo, Jesus; Sotillo, Belen; Fernandez, Paloma; Solis, Javier

2015-04-01

The properties of structures written inside dielectrics with high repetition rate femtosecond lasers are known to depend strongly on the complex interplay of a large number of writing parameters. Recently, ion migration within the laser-excited volume has been identified as a powerful mechanism for changing the local element distribution and producing efficient optical waveguides. In this work it is shown that the transient plasma distribution induced during laser irradiation is a reliable monitor for predicting the final refractive index distribution of the waveguide caused by ion migration. By performing in situ plasma emission microscopy during the writing process inside a La-phosphate glass it is found that the long axis of the plasma distribution determines the axis of ion migration, being responsible for the local refractive index increase. This observation is also valid when strong positive or negative spherical aberration is induced, greatly deforming the focal volume and inverting the index profile. Even subtle changes in the writing conditions, such as an inversion of the writing direction (quill writing effect), show up in the form of a modified plasma distribution, which manifests as a modified index distribution. Finally, it is shown that the superior control over the waveguide properties employing the slit shaping technique is caused by the more confined plasma distribution produced. The underlying reasons for this unexpected result are discussed in terms of non-linear propagation and heat accumulation.

Laser-plasma based electron acceleration studies planned at CAT, Indore

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naik, P.A.; Gupta, P.D.

2005-01-01

The Laser Plasma Division at the Centre for Advanced Technology is engaged in a variety of R and D activities on laser-plasma interaction with special emphasis on laser-matter interaction at ultra-high intensities. An important aspect of our future work is studies in laser-plasma based acceleration using an elaborate infrastructural set-up of ultra-fast laser and plasma diagnostic systems and recently acquired 10 TW, 50 fs Ti: Sapphire laser system. This paper presents outline of the planned studies in this field. (author)

Laser-Plasma Modeling Using PERSEUS Extended-MHD Simulation Code for HED Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Hamlin, Nathaniel; Seyler, Charles

2017-10-01

We discuss the use of the PERSEUS extended-MHD simulation code for high-energy-density (HED) plasmas in modeling the influence of Hall and electron inertial physics on laser-plasma interactions. By formulating the extended-MHD equations as a relaxation system in which the current is semi-implicitly time-advanced using the Generalized Ohm's Law, PERSEUS enables modeling of extended-MHD phenomena (Hall and electron inertial physics) without the need to resolve the smallest electron time scales, which would otherwise be computationally prohibitive in HED plasma simulations. We first consider a laser-produced plasma plume pinched by an applied magnetic field parallel to the laser axis in axisymmetric cylindrical geometry, forming a conical shock structure and a jet above the flow convergence. The Hall term produces low-density outer plasma, a helical field structure, flow rotation, and field-aligned current, rendering the shock structure dispersive. We then model a laser-foil interaction by explicitly driving the oscillating laser fields, and examine the essential physics governing the interaction. This work is supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration stewardship sciences academic program under Department of Energy cooperative agreements DE-FOA-0001153 and DE-NA0001836.

Polarization spectroscopy on laser-produced plasmas and Z-pinch plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Dong E. [POSTECH, Kyungbuk (Korea); Baronova, Elena O. [RRC Kurchatov Institute, Nuclear Fusion Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation); Jakubowski, Lech [Soltan Institute for Nuclear Studies, Swierk-Otwock (Poland)

2002-08-01

PPS experiments on laser-produced plasmas are reviewed. Polarization is interpreted in terms of the anisotropic velocity distribution of electrons due to non-local transport. The polarization of an x-ray laser, and recent results regarding the recombining plasma are also presented. X-ray polarization spectroscopy experiments on heliumlike ion lines from a vacuum spark and from a plasma focus are presented: in both cases, the resonance line of the heliumlike ions shows polarization in the direction perpendicular to the discharge axis. Two possible interpretations are suggested. (author)

Titanium monoxide spectroscopy following laser-induced optical breakdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parigger, Christian G.; Woods, Alexander C.; Keszler, Anna; Nemes, László; Hornkohl, James O.

2012-01-01

This work investigates Titanium Monoxide (TiO) in ablation-plasma by employing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) with 1 to 10 TW/cm 2 irradiance, pulsed, 13 nanosecond, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser radiation at the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm. The analysis of TiO is based on our first accurate determination of transition line strengths for selected TiO A-X, B-X, and E-X transitions, particularly TiO A-X γ and B-X γ′ bands. Electric dipole line strengths for the A 3 Φ-X 3 δ and B 3 Π-X 3 δ bands of TiO are computed. The molecular TiO spectra are observed subsequent to laser-induced breakdown (LIB). We discuss analysis of diatomic molecular spectra that may occur simultaneously with spectra originating from atomic species. Gated detection is applied to investigate the development in time of the emission spectra following LIB. Collected emission spectra allow one to infer micro-plasma parameters such as temperature and electron density. Insight into the state of the micro-plasma is gained by comparing measurements with predictions of atomic and molecular spectra. Nonlinear fitting of recorded and computed diatomic spectra provides the basis for molecular diagnostics, while atomic species may overlap and are simultaneously identified. Molecular diagnostic approaches similar to TiO have been performed for diatomic molecules such as AlO, C 2 , CN, CH, N 2 , NH, NO and OH.

Radiation sources based on laser-plasma interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaroszynski, D.A.; Bingham, R.; Brunetti, E.; Ersfeld, B.; Gallacher, J.G.; Geer, van der S.B.; Issac, R.; Jamison, S.P.; Jones, D.; Loos, de M.J.; Lyachev, A.; Pavlov, V.M.; Reitsma, A.J.W.; Saveliev, Y.M.; Vieux, G.; Wiggins, S.M.

2006-01-01

Plasma waves excited by intense laser beams can be harnessed to produce femtosecond duration bunches of electrons with relativistic energies. The very large electrostatic forces of plasma density wakes trailing behind an intense laser pulse provide field potentials capable of accelerating charged

High-energy 4ω probe laser for laser-plasma experiments at Nova

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glenzer, S.H.; Weiland, T.L.; Bower, J.; MacKinnon, A.J.; MacGowan, B.J.

1999-01-01

For the characterization of inertial confinement fusion plasmas, we implemented a high-energy 4ω probe laser at the Nova laser facility. A total energy of >50 J at 4ω, a focal spot size of order 100 μm, and a pointing accuracy of 100 μm was demonstrated for target shots. This laser provides intensities of up to 3x10 14 Wcm -2 and therefore fulfills high-power requirements for laser-plasma interaction experiments. The 4ω probe laser is now routinely used for Thomson scattering. Successful experiments were performed in gas-filled hohlraums at electron densities of n e >2x10 21 cm -3 which represents the highest density plasma so far being diagnosed with Thomson scattering. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics

Laser filament-induced aerosol formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Saathoff

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Using the aerosol and cloud simulation chamber AIDA, we investigated the laser filament induced particle formation in ambient air, humid synthetic air, humid nitrogen, argon–oxygen mixture, and pure argon in order to simulate the particle formation under realistic atmospheric conditions as well as to investigate the influence of typical gas-phase atmospheric constituents on the particle formation. Terawatt laser plasma filaments generated new particles in the size range 3 to 130 nm with particle production rates ranging from 1 × 107 to 5 × 109 cm−3 plasma s−1 for the given experimental conditions. In all cases the particle formation rates increased exponentially with the water content of the gas mixture. Furthermore, the presence of a few ppb of trace gases like SO2 and α-pinene clearly enhanced the particle yield by number, the latter also by mass. Our findings suggest that new particle formation is efficiently supported by oxidized species like acids generated by the photoionization of both major and minor components of the air, including N2, NH3, SO2 and organics.

An experimental facility for microwave induced plasma processing of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, D.S.; Ramachandran, K.; Bhide, A.L.; Venkatramani, N.

1997-01-01

Microwave induced plasma processing offers many advantages over conventional processes. However this technology is in the development stage. This report gives a detailed information about a microwave plasma processing facility (2.45 GHz, 700 W) set up in the Laser and Plasma Technology Division. The equipment details and the results obtained on deposition of diamond like carbon (DLC) thin films and surface modification of polymer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) using this facility are given in this report. (author)

Spectroscopical plasma diagnostics for the procedure optimization in laser-beam high-speed cutting; Spektroskopische Plasmadiagnostik zur Verfahrensoptimierung beim Laserstrahl-Hochgeschwindigkeitsschneiden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nate, M.

2001-07-01

In the present thesis the laser-induced plasma typical for the high- speed cutting process was studied in the region of the interaction zone. For this especially the absorption properties of the plasma for the incident laser radiation and their correlation with the maximally reachable cutting speeds. For this with methods of the spectroscopic plasma diagnostics the influence of different process parameters on the quantities characterizing the plasma, electron density and temperature, was determined. On the base of these values in the framework of an equilibrium model the densities of all particles contained in the plasma were determined. With these values the plasma absorption coefficient was subsequently calculated and the laser radiation absorbed in the plasma estimated.

Absorption of turbulent laser plasma radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silin, V.P.

1979-02-01

Some theoretical results relating to the interaction of high-power laser radiation with a plasma are presented including the development of a theory of parametric instabilities in an inhomogeneous laser plasma which shows that the size of the spatial region in which the turbulent state develops is comparable with the characteristic dimension of a several-fold fluctuation in the plasma density close to its critical value. The conditions are identified under which parametric turbulence gives an anomalous effective collision frequency substantially greater than the normal electron-ion collision frequency. Even during the build-up of strong parametric turbulence, conditions are found for the development of anomalous dissipation which results in heating of the bulk of the electrons. Under opposite conditions, the dynamic behaviour due to the influence of the ponderomotive forces associated with the p component of the radiation field shows that under slow plasma flow conditions, a considerable proportion of the laser energy absorbed by the plasma is transferred to the fast electrons. Suppression of the Cherenkov mechanism for generation of the fast electron component is observed on transition to fast plasma flow conditions. (author)

Laser-plasma interaction physics for shock ignition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goyon C.

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In the shock ignition scheme, the ICF target is first compressed with a long (nanosecond pulse before creating a convergent shock with a short (∼100 ps pulse to ignite thermonuclear reactions. This short pulse is typically (∼2.1015–1016 W/cm2 above LPI (Laser Plasma Instabilities thresholds. The plasma is in a regime where the electron temperature is expected to be very high (2–4 keV and the laser coupling to the plasma is not well understood. Emulating LPI in the corona requires large and hot plasmas produced by high-energy lasers. We conducted experiments on the LIL (Ligne d'Integration Laser, 10 kJ at 3ω and the LULI2000 (0.4 kJ at 2ω facilities, to approach these conditions and study absorption and LPI produced by a high intensity beam in preformed plasmas. After introducing the main risks associated with the short pulse propagation, we present the latest experiment we conducted on LPI in relevant conditions for shock ignition.

Investigation of the effect of laser parameters on the target, plume and plasma behavior during and after laser-solid interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Stancalie, A.; Ciobanu, S. S.; Sporea, D.

2017-09-01

A detailed theoretical and experimental analysis is performed for a wide range of laser operating conditions, typical for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation (LA) experiments on copper metallic target. The plasma parameters were experimentally estimated from the line intensities ratio which reflects the relative population of neutral excited species in the plasma. In the case of LA experiments the highest temperature observed was 8210 ± 370 K. In case of LIBS measurements, a maximum temperature of 8123 K has been determined. The experimental results are in good agreement with a stationary, hydrodynamic model. We have theoretically investigated the plasma emission based on the generalized collisional-radiative model as implemented in the ADAS interconnected set of computer codes and data collections. The ionic population density distribution over the ground and excited states into the cooper plasma is graphically displayed as output from the code. The theoretical line intensity ratios are in good agreement with experimental values for the electron density and temperature range measured in our experiments.

Investigation of the differentiation of ex vivo nerve and fat tissues using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS): Prospects for tissue-specific laser surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehari, Fanuel; Rohde, Maximillian; Kanawade, Rajesh; Knipfer, Christian; Adler, Werner; Klämpfl, Florian; Stelzle, Florian; Schmidt, Michael

2016-10-01

In the present study, the elemental compositions of fat and nerve tissue during their plasma mediated laser ablation are studied in the context of tissue differentiation for laser surgery applications by using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Tissue samples of porcine fat and nerve were prepared as ex vivo experimental objects. Plasma mediated laser ablation is performed using an Nd : YAG laser in open air and under normal stray light conditions. The performed measurements suggest that the two tissue types show a high similarity in terms of qualitative elemental composition while at the same time revealing a distinct difference in the concentration of the constituent elements. Different analysis approaches are evaluated and discussed to optimize the tissue-differentiation performance of the LIBS approach. Plasma mediated laser tissue ablation. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biological effects of laser-induced stress waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doukas, A.; Lee, S.; McAuliffe, D.

1995-01-01

Laser-induced stress waves can be generated by one of the following mechanisms: Optical breakdown, ablation or rapid heating of an absorbing medium. These three modes of laser interaction with matter allow the investigation of cellular and tissue responses to stress waves with different characteristics and under different conditions. The most widely studied phenomena are those of the collateral damage seen in photodisruption in the eye and in 193 run ablation of cornea and skin. On the other hand, the therapeutic application of laser-induced stress waves has been limited to the disruption of noncellular material such as renal stones, atheromatous plaque and vitreous strands. The effects of stress waves to cells and tissues can be quite disparate. Stress waves can fracture tissue, damage cells, and increase the permeability of the plasma membrane. The viability of cell cultures exposed to stress waves increases with the peak stress and the number of pulses applied. The rise time of the stress wave also influences the degree of cell injury. In fact, cell viability, as measured by thymidine incorporation, correlates better with the stress gradient than peak stress. Recent studies have also established that stress waves induce a transient increase of the permeability of the plasma membrane in vitro. In addition, if the stress gradient is below the damage threshhold, the cells remain viable. Thus, stress waves can be useful as a means of drug delivery, increasing the intracellular drug concentration and allowing the use of drugs which are impermeable to the cell membrane. The present studies show that it is important to create controllable stress waves. The wavelength tunability and the micropulse structure of the free electron laser is ideal for generating stress waves with independently adjustable parameters, such as rise time, duration and peak stress

Soft X-Ray amplification in laser plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louis-Jacquet, M.

1988-01-01

The principles, experiments and theoretical models of soft x-ray, amplification, produced in laser plasmas, are studied. In the discussion of the principles, the laser plasma medium, the definition of the gain, the population inversions, saturation and superradiance are described. The results concerning recombination and collisional excitation experiments, as well as experimental devices are shown. A complete physical simulation to design and interpret x-ray laser experiments is given. Applications of x-ray lasers in grating production techniques, in contact microscopy and holography are considered

Traveling-wave laser-produced-plasma energy source for photoionization laser pumping and lasers incorporating said

Science.gov (United States)

Sher, Mark H.; Macklin, John J.; Harris, Stephen E.

1989-09-26

A traveling-wave, laser-produced-plasma, energy source used to obtain single-pass gain saturation of a photoionization pumped laser. A cylindrical lens is used to focus a pump laser beam to a long line on a target. Grooves are cut in the target to present a surface near normal to the incident beam and to reduce the area, and hence increase the intensity and efficiency, of plasma formation.