Observation and control of shock waves in individual nanoplasmas.
Using an apparatus that images the momentum distribution of individual, isolated 100-nm-scale plasmas, we make the first experimental observation of shock waves in nanoplasmas. We demonstrate that the introduction of a heating pulse prior to the main laser pulse increases the intensity of the shock wave, producing a strong burst of quasimonoenergetic ions with an energy spread of less than 15%. Numerical hydrodynamic calculations confirm the appearance of accelerating shock waves and provide a mechanism for the generation and control of these shock waves. This observation of distinct shock waves in dense plasmas enables the control, study, and exploitation of nanoscale shock phenomena with tabletop-scale lasers.
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Daniel D
DD
Hickstein
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Franklin
F
Dollar
Physics Division, Physical and Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Jim A
JA
Gaffney
Physics Division, Physical and Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Mark E
ME
Foord
Plasma Physics Division, Naval Research Lab, Washington, District of Columbia 20375, USA.
George M
GM
Petrov
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Brett B
BB
Palm
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
K Ellen
KE
Keister
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Jennifer L
JL
Ellis
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Chengyuan
C
Ding
Physics Division, Physical and Life Sciences, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
Stephen B
SB
Libby
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Jose L
JL
Jimenez
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Henry C
HC
Kapteyn
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Margaret M
MM
Murnane
Department of Physics, University of Colorado and JILA, National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
Wei
W
Xiong
D057446:Hydrodynamics; D007834:Lasers; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000737:chemistry*
D009566:Nitrates; D058626:Plasma Gases; C006568:ammonium nitrate