Laser-driven in-tube accelerator

Abstract

A device of accelerating a projectile using laser power, “laser-driven in-tube accelerator,” has been developed. It is characterized by accelerating the projectile in a tube and by supplying the laser beam from the direction opposite to the projectile motion. The laser beam is incident on the nose of the projectile, reflected first on the nose and second on the inner wall of the projectile shroud, then focused behind. Operation performance is measured using a CO2 transversely excited atmospheric laser of a nominal output energy of 5 J/pulse. A coupling coefficient of 73 N/MW is obtained using the atmospheric air as the working fluid.