Comprehensive analysis and probing of plasma emitted by the laser ablation of aluminum

We utilize recently developed methodologies to diagnose laser ablative plasmas and apply them to address the accuracy of numerical model predictions. Surface normal laser probing and imaging provides time-resolved data as well as qualitative data about the absorptivity of the plasma using a simple, single objective lens optical setup. Plasma plumes emitted from aluminum targets were modeled by multi-physics pulsed ablation simulation and compared to experimental measurements in the 4.6-17 J/cm(2) regime. Gas dynamics, driven by a fully coupled suite of optical and thermal sub-models, was used to model the expansion of the plume, and plasma modeling was then used to calculate absorption by the plasma, which was directly compared to in situ laser probe measurements of the plasma. We found better agreement at the high end of the fluence range tested, with a best-case error of 14% in plume absorption between experiment and simulation.

Automated summary

The article utilizes recently developed methodologies to diagnose laser ablative plasmas and compares them with numerical model predictions. Time-resolved and qualitative data about plasma absorptivity are obtained through surface normal laser probing and imaging. The study finds a maximum error of 14% in plasma absorption between experiment and simulation at high energy density range tested.