Interaction of high Mach-number shocks in laser-produced plasmas

Abstract We report the laboratory experiment for high Mach-number collisionless shock formation and for studying the interaction of them. These shocks are formed in high-velocity counterstreaming plasmas produced by ablating a double-foil plastic target with a high-power laser. The laser-produced plasmas are diagnosed with space and time-resolved optical pyrometry and shadowgraphy. Multiple shocks are formed and interact with each other, resulting in the increase of plasma temperature and density.