Heating of Laser Produced Plasmas Generated at Plane Solid Targets I. Theory

Abstract

Abstract A hydrodynamic model for the heating of a plasma generated by the interaction of an intense giant laser pulse with a plane, solid target is developed. It is shown that in the case of nanosecond light pulses and a finite focal spot diameter, the plasma production may be considered as a steady state problem. Expressions for the electron temperature, the expansion energy of the ions, and the total particle number in the plasma as a function of the incoming light intensity are derived. An estimate of the ion temperature is discussed.