Investigation of laser-produced aluminum plasma

At DMFCI of Catania University, where a Quanta System Nd:YAG laser 600 mJ of energy, 1064 nm wavelength and 6 ns pulse length operates, experiments about plasma expansion in vacuum (<10⁻⁵ mbar), have been performed. Our studies are mostly devoted to nuclear and astrophysical purposes. Some preliminary investigations with aluminum thick targets are reported here. Plasma dynamics have been investigated mainly by means of a movable Langmuir Probe, and time of flight spectra have been acquired at different distances from the laser-target interaction area. The cross-correlation of Langmuir probe signals and hydro-dynamical simulation has permitted to calculate the structure of the inner plasma self-generated electric field that drives the plume expansion. The experimental data reveals also a time variable behavior of the self-generated field. This dependence on time produces also a multi-shell plasma in which the different layers expand with a given velocity, temperature and density.