Mass-Ablation Rates in a Spherical Laser-Produced Plasma

Abstract

Measurements of the rate at which 1.05-μm light ablates material from spherical targets are reported for absorbed intensities between 4×${10}^{13}$ and 4×${10}^{14}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^2$. At 4×${10}^{14}$, the ablation rate is twice as high as has been reported for planar targets. A steady-state model which includes inhibited thermal transport matches the data well.