Flyer Target Acceleration and Energy Transfer at its Collision with Massive Targets

Numerical modelling was aimed at simulation of successive events resulting from interaction of laser beam‐single and double targets. It was performed by means of the 2D Lagrangian hydrodynamics code ATLANT‐HE. This code is based on one‐fluid and two‐temperature model of plasma with electron and ion heat conductivity considerations. The code has an advanced treatment of laser light propagation and absorption. This numerical modelling corresponds to the experiment, which was carried out with the use of the PALS facility. Two types of planar solid targets, i.e. single massive Al slabs and double targets consisting of 6 μm thick Al foil and Al slab were applied. The targets were irradiated by the iodine laser pulses of two wavelengths: 1.315 and 0.438 μm. A pulse duration of 0.4 ns and a focal spot diameter of 250 μm at a laser energy of 130 J were used. The numerical modelling allowed us to obtain a more detailed description of shock wave propagation and crater formation.