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At least 1,531 records · Page 85

A Langmuir probe diagnostic for time-of-flight measurements of transient plasmas produced by high-energy laser ablation

We discuss here the development of a Langmuir probe (LP) diagnostic to examine high-density, high-temperature inhomogeneous plasmas such as those that can be created at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics OMEGA facility. We have configured our diagnostic to examine the velocity of the plasma expanding from the target. We observe velocities of approximately 16-17 cm/{mu}s, with individual LP currents displaying complex structures, perhaps due to the multiple atomic species and ionization states that exist.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Simple formula for the interspaces of periodic grating structures self-organized on metal surfaces by femtosecond laser ablation

Self-organized grating structures formed on Mo and Ti metal surfaces irradiated with femtosecond laser pulses at wavelengths of 800 and 400 nm are investigated by electron microscopy. We observe the formation of the self-organized grating structures on the metals irradiated with 400-nm laser pulses at low laser fluence in narrow fluence ranges. The interspaces of the grating structure depend on the wavelength and fluence of the laser. We find that the dependence of the grating interspaces on laser fluence can be explained by a simple formula for induction of a surface-plasma wave through the parametric decay of laser light.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Emission features and expansion dynamics of nanosecond laser ablation plumes at different ambient pressures

The influence of ambient pressure on the spectral emission features and expansion dynamics of a plasma plume generated on a metal target has been investigated. The plasma plumes were generated by irradiating Cu targets using 6 ns, 1064 nm pulses from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The emission and expansion dynamics of the plasma plumes were studied by varying air ambient pressure levels ranging from vacuum to atmospheric pressure. The ambient pressure levels were found to affect both the line intensities and broadening along with the signal to background and signal to noise ratios and the optimum pressure conditions for analytical applications were evaluated. The characteristic plume parameters were estimated using emission spectroscopy means and noticed that the excitation temperature peaked ∼300 Torr, while the electron density showed a maximum ∼100 Torr. Fast-gated images showed a complex interaction between the plume and background air leading to changes in the plume geometry with pressure as well as time. Surface morphology of irradiated surface showed that the pressure of the ambient gas affects the laser-target coupling significantly.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Short-interval multi-laser Thomson scattering measurements of hydrogen pellet ablation in LHD

Thomson scattering forms an important aspect of measuring the electron density and temperature profiles of plasmas. In this study, we demonstrate Thomson scattering measurements obtained over a short interval (<1 ms) by using an event triggering system with a multi-laser configuration. We attempt to use our system to obtain the electron temperature and density profiles before and immediately after pellet injection into the large helical device. The obtained profiles exhibit dramatic changes after pellet injection as per our shot-by-shot measurements. We believe that this measurement technique will contribute towards a better understanding of the physics of the pellet deposition.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Time-resolved spatial distribution of plasma in the ablation of a Ba₀.₆Sr₀.₄TiO₃ target by 25 ns KrF ultraviolet laser

We performed radially and longitudinally time-resolved plasma analysis during pulsed laser deposition of Ba₀.₆Sr₀.₄TiO₃ thin films. The plasma is shown to be optically thick and strongly non-uniform during the early expansion phase and the resonance line Ba II (455.4 nm) is strongly self-reversed during this time. Plasma temperature and electron density were obtained by comparing experimental emission spectra with the spectral radiance computed for a non-uniform plasma in local thermal equilibrium.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Explosive boiling of a metallic glass superheated by nanosecond pulse laser ablation

We report an explosive boiling in a Zr-based (Vitreloy 1) bulk metallic glass irradiated by a nanosecond pulse laser with a single shot. This critical phenomenon is accompanied by the ejection of high-temperature matter from the target and the formation of a liquid-gas spinodal pattern on the irradiated area. An analytical model reveals that the glassy target experiences the normal heating (melting) and significant superheating, eventually culminating in explosive boiling near the spinodal limit. Furthermore, the time lag of nucleation and the critical radius of vapor bubbles are theoretically predicted, which are in agreement with the experimental observations. This study provides the investigation on the instability of a metallic glass liquid near the thermodynamic critical temperature.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Energy conversion and momentum coupling of the sub-kJ laser ablation of aluminum in air atmosphere

Energy conversion and momentum coupling using nano-second 1-μm-wavelength pulse laser irradiation on an aluminum target were measured in air and nitrogen gas atmospheres over a wide range of laser pulse energies from sub-J to sub-kJ. From the expansion rate of the shock wave, the blast-wave energy conversion efficiency, η{sub bw}, was deduced as 0.59 ± 0.02 in the air atmosphere at an ambient pressure from 30 to 101 kPa for a constant laser fluence at 115 J/cm{sup 2}. Moreover, the momentum coupling of a circular disk target was formulated uniquely as a function of the dimensionless shock-wave radius and the ratio of the laser spot radius to the disk radius, while η{sub bw} could be approximated as constant for the laser fluence from 4.7 to 4.1 kJ/cm{sup 2}, and the ambient pressure from 0.1 to 101 kPa.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A numerical study of shock waves generated through laser ablation of explosives

Shock waves resulting from irradiation of energetic materials with a pulsed ultraviolet laser source have been shown to be an effective indicator for explosives detection. In this study, the features of shock wave propagation are explored theoretically. The initial stage of the shock motion is simulated as a one-dimensional process. As the nonlinear wave expands to form a blast wave, a system of conservation equations, simplified to the Euler equations, is employed to model wave propagation. The Euler equations are solved numerically by the 5th order weighted essentially non-oscillatory finite difference scheme with the time integration carried out using the 3rd order total variation diminishing Runge Kutta method. The numerical results for the shock wave evolution are compared with those obtained from experiments with a meltcast 2,6-dinitrotoluene sample. The calculations lay a theoretical foundation for a recently investigated technique for photoacoustically sensing explosives using a vibrometer.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

X-ray diffraction strains in laser-ablated aluminum, nickel, sodium, and invar: Pressures to 475 GPa

Dynamically compressed materials in longitudinal waves are described by two physical models: hydrostatic pressure, with equal, normal, principal stresses or material uniaxially strained in the wave propagation direction. These models are disparate, so experimental comparisons and evaluations are important. Polycrystalline material in a state of hydrostatic pressure will have no eccentricity of x-ray-diffracted Debye–Scherrer rings. A general three-dimensional solution of Bragg diffracted x rays based on principal crystallographic strains in the compression wave was found. The distortion of x-ray diffraction beams has been used for strain measurements; the analysis developed incorporates a strained reciprocal lattice and the incident x-ray beam. Strain-distorted Polanyi surfaces form an annulus of compression with an ellipsoid of revolution in reciprocal space, which is intersected by Ewald's sphere for Bragg diffraction. The in situ measurements for strain describe nanosecond diffraction evaluated using two planes, (hkl) and (h′k′l′), both in the same crystallographic phase. Diffraction from Al, Ni, Na, and Invar quantifies the compression axial strains in these materials: The compression axial ratios are 0.65, 1.05, 0.88, and 1.58 at pressures of 291, 402, 409, and 367 GPa for the respective materials. Crystal structure transformations with homogeneous pressurized stresses, mandating equal normal strains, should not be anticipated to agree with heterogeneous, uniaxially strained, and sheared crystalline phases. Measurements support in-plane strains increasing with pressure, p , in fcc and hcp aluminum as ε 22 = −0.21 p /TPa.

Alloys↗

Thermophysical and gas-dynamic characteristics of laser-induced gasplasma flows under femtosecond laser ablation of titanium in vacuum

We report the results of experimental investigation of thermophysical and gas-dynamic characteristics of the gas-plasma flows induced by ultrashort (45 – 60 fs) laser pulse irradiation (the radiation wavelength λ = 400, 800 nm) of a titanium target in vacuum (∼5 × 10{sup -4} mbar). The use of combined interferometric technique and complex experimental data processing allowed us to estimate the momentum coupling coefficient (C{sub m} ∼ 10{sup -4} N W{sup -1}), the efficiency of laser energy conversion to the kinetic energy of the gas-plasma flow (65% – 85%), the spatiotemporal distributions of the particle density (n{sub e} = 10{sup 18} – 10{sup 20} cm{sup -3}) and velocity ((v)=4 – 9 km s{sup -1}), the static (10{sup 6} – 10{sup 8} Pa) and total (10{sup 7} – 10{sup 11} Pa) pressure and temperature (T=7 – 50 kK) in the flow. Our data are compared with published data obtained by other methods. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Laser ablation of carbon targets placed in a liquid

We report experimental results on laser formation of carbon nanostructures produced during irradiation of a target placed in water. We have performed comparative experiments on laser heating of carbon targets by millisecond and femtosecond laser pulses. It is shown that under different conditions of laser irradiation of targets made of schungite, glassy carbon and pyrolytic graphite, different morphological types of micro- and nanostructured carbon are formed. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Transmittance jump in a thin aluminium layer during laser ablation

A jump in the transmittance (from ∼0.1% to ∼50% for ∼1 ns) of an optical gate on a Mylar film (a thin aluminium layer on a Lavsan substrate) irradiated by nanosecond (10{sup -7} – 10{sup -8} s) pulses of a neodymium laser with an intensity up to 0.1 GW cm{sup -2} has been recorded. The mechanism of a fast (10{sup -10} – 10{sup -11} s) increase in the transmittance of the aluminium layer upon its overheating (without boiling) to the metal – insulator phase-transition temperature is discussed. (interaction of laser radiation with matter. laser plasma)

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Synthesis of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles decorated with gold nanoclusters using pulsed laser ablation in liquid

Amorphous spherical titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) nanoparticles, decorated gold nanoparticles, are shown to be formed under irradiation of commercial TiO{sub 2} nanopowders dispersed in aqueous solution of hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl{sub 4}) by second-harmonic nanosecond pulses of an Nd : YAG laser. It is found that these hybrid nanostructures are formed during laser-induced remelting of the initial nanoparticles, stimulated by gold nanoclusters (providing more efficient absorption of visible laser radiation by titanium dioxide) recovered on their surface. The morphology and chemical composition of the newly formed hybrid nanomaterials are investigated in detail by electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and energy-dispersive analysis. It is shown that the average size and number of gold nanoparticles recovered on the TiO{sub 2} surface can be controlled by varying the concentration ratio of the initial nanomaterial and HAuCl{sub 4}. A spectroscopic analysis of light scattering by single hybrid nanoparticles and the results of numerical calculation of the structure of electromagnetic fields near their surface indicate good prospects of these hybrid nanomaterials for various applications in modern optics, optoelectronics, and nanophotonics; for example, for designing chemo- and biosensor platforms and new-generation solar cells. (nanoparticles)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Effects of non-equilibrium ionization and excitation on radiation absorption in plasma plumes induced by ablation of metal targets with nanosecond laser pulses

Ionization and radiation absorption in nanosecond laser-induced plasma plumes are routinely modeled using the Saha–Boltzmann equilibrium ionization model (EQM). However, the equilibrium assumption can be inaccurate during the laser pulse when non-equilibrium effects significantly impact radiation absorption. In the present work, the EQM and non-equilibrium collisional-radiative model (CRM) are compared to reveal the effect of plasma non-equilibrium on radiation absorption in non-homogeneous plumes and degree of plasma shielding. Simulations of plume expansion induced by irradiation of a copper target in 1 atm argon background gas with a 10 ns Gaussian pulse at a fluence from 8 Jcm −2 to 14 Jcm −2 are performed with a hybrid computational model that couples a lumped particle direct simulation Monte Carlo method with either CRM or EQM. The simulations show that the EQM strongly underestimates the effects of ionization and radiation absorption compared to CRM and, contrary to the CRM, predict strong ionization of the background gas. The differences between the models are explained by the qualitatively different coupling between plume expansion and dynamics of ionization and exitation processes in the CRM and EQM under conditions when the characteristic times for most radiation- and electron-induced processes are longer than the pulse duration. The CRM-based predictions are also found to agree much better with available experimental data. In conclusion, these results indicate that the model of Saha–Boltzmann equilibrium cannot be used for reliable prediction of the degree of plasma shielding in plumes induced by nanosecond laser pulses or for processing results of spectroscopic measurements at early stages of expansion of such plumes.

Physics - Plasma physics↗

SU-C-303-06: Treatment Planning Study for Non-Invasive Cardiac Arrhythmia Ablation with Scanned Carbon Ions in An Animal Model

Purpose: Scanned carbon ion beams might offer a non-invasive alternative treatment for cardiac arrhythmia, which are a major health-burden. We studied the feasibility of this procedure in an animal model. The underlying treatment planning and motion mitigation strategies will be presented. Methods: The study was carried out in 15 pigs, randomly distributed to 3 target groups: atrioventricular node (AVN, 8 animals with 25, 40, and 55 Gy target dose), left ventricular free-wall (LV, 4 animals with 40 Gy) and superior pulmonary vein (SPV, 3 animals with 40 Gy). Breathing motion was suppressed by repeated enforced breathholds at end exhale. Cardiac motion was mitigated by an inhomogeneous rescanning scheme with up to 15 rescans. The treatment planning was performed using the GSI in-house software TRiP4D on cardiac-gated 4DCTs, applying a range-considering ITV based on an extended CTV. For AVN and SPV isotropic 5 mm margins were applied to the CTV, while for the LV 2mm+2% range margins were used. The opposing fields for AVN and LV targets were optimized independently (SFUD), while SPV treatments were optimized as IMPT deliveries, including dose restrictions to the radiosensitive AVN. Results: Median value of D{sub 95} over all rescanning simulations was 99.1% (AVN), 98.0% (SPV) and 98.3% (LV) for the CTV and 94.7% (AVN) and 92.7% (SPV) for the PTV, respectively. The median D{sub 5}-D{sub 95} was improved with rescanning compared to unmitigated delivery from 13.3 to 6.5% (CTV) and from 23.4 to 11.6% (PTV). ICRP dose limits for aorta, trachea, esophagus and skin were respected. The maximal dose in the coronary arteries was limited to 30 Gy. Conclusion: We demonstrated the feasibility of a homogeneous dose delivery to different cardiac structures in a porcine model using a time-optimized inhomogeneous rescanning scheme. The presented treatment planning strategies were applied in a pig study with the analysis ongoing. Funding: This work was supported in part by the Helmholtz Association, the American Heart Association Midwest Affiliate Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant, the Mayo Clinic Foundation, and the Goldsmith Foundation.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Dynamics of Gold Ablation into Water

Using the gold–water pair as an example, we analyze the problems related to an ultrashort laser action on a metallic target submerged in a transparent liquid.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

A mass quadrupole spectrometry investigation on proton emission by nanosecond laser ablation

A nanosecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser operating at the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm and at an intensity of about 10{sup 10} W/cm{sup 2} was employed to irradiate hydrogenated polymers in vacuum. The produced plasma was characterized in terms of thermal and Coulomb interactions evaluating the equivalent temperature and the acceleration voltage developed in the non-equilibrium plasma core. Particles emission along the normal to the target surface was investigated by measuring, with the Hiden EQP 300 mass quadrupole spectrometer, ion energy distributions and fitting experimental data with the “Coulomb-Boltzmann-shifted” function. Time-of-flight technique was employed in order to measure the proton energy and yield. A comparison between experimental results is presented and discussed, with a special regard to the protons emission.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗