Emission by the plasma formed in the collision of fast particles with an obstacle

The radiative and gasdynamic processes which occur in the collision of a proton beam with an obstacle are studied. The characteristics of the plasma produced in the interaction of a microsecond proton pulse with an aluminum target at a moderate flux density (1 GW/cm/sup 2/) are estimated. It is found that a large part of the beam energy can be converted into hard-UV emission.