Electron density and temperature contour plots from a laser-produced plasma using collective ultraviolet Thomson scattering

Abstract

Temporally integrated ultraviolet collective Thomson scattering measurements were performed with frequency-quadrupled Nd:YAG laser radiation on an underdense long-scalelength aluminum plasma (n/sub c//spl sim/10/sup 21/ cm/sup -3/, Z/spl ap/7, T/sub e//spl ap/T/sub i//spl ges/50 eV, L/spl ges/100 /spl mu/m). The plasma was preformed by an Nd:YAG fundamental beam (1.06 /spl mu/m) with focusable intensities of 10/sup 11/ W/cm/sup 2/. Color images of two-dimensional (2-D) spatially resolved (30 /spl mu/m) electron density and electron temperature were obtained. These are the shortest wavelength Thomson scattering measurements on a plasma to date.