Method of high-speed process study in experiments with thin foils heated by high-brightness laser radiation

The results of the experiments at the installation 'PICO' with thin foils heating by laser radiation pulses of nanosecond duration are reported. The Al foils with thickness in the range from 3 (mu) up to 40 (mu) where used as a targets. The flux density was varied from 10 13 W/cm 2 to 10 14 W/cm 2 . The sharp dependence of the portion of laser energy passed through the target on foil thickness was observed. This phenomena was accompanied by relatively small decrease of the passed radiation pulse duration. The anomalously high speed burning through of thin foil was observed in these experiments and the conclusion on possible mechanism of this phenomena has been done on the base of comparison of experimental data with theoretical calculations. The observed phenomena can be interpreted on the base of conjecture about the local burning through of a target in the small areas at the target surface with much more values of flux density than average one and following laser radiation self-focusing and formation of 'hot spots.'