Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Generation of Ultrahigh-Velocity Ionizing Shocks with Petawatt-Class Laser Pulses
AU - Nilson, P. M.
AU - Mangles, S. P. D.
AU - Willingale, L.
AU - Kaluza, M. C.
AU - Thomas, A. G. R.
AU - Tatarakis, M.
AU - Najmudin, Z.
AU - Clarke, R. J.
AU - Lancaster, K. L.
AU - Karsch, S.
AU - Schreiber, J.
AU - Evans, R. G.
AU - Dangor, A. E.
AU - Krushelnick, K.
PY - 2009/12/18
Y1 - 2009/12/18
N2 - Ultrahigh-velocity shock waves (similar to 10 000 km/s or 0.03c) are generated by focusing a 350-TW laser pulse into low-density helium gas. The collisionless ultrahigh-Mach-number electrostatic shock propagates from the plasma into the surrounding gas, ionizing gas as it becomes collisional. The shock undergoes a corrugation instability due to propagation of the ionizing shock within the gas (the Dyakov-Kontorovich instability). This system may be relevant to the study of very high-Mach-number ionizing shocks in astrophysical situations.
AB - Ultrahigh-velocity shock waves (similar to 10 000 km/s or 0.03c) are generated by focusing a 350-TW laser pulse into low-density helium gas. The collisionless ultrahigh-Mach-number electrostatic shock propagates from the plasma into the surrounding gas, ionizing gas as it becomes collisional. The shock undergoes a corrugation instability due to propagation of the ionizing shock within the gas (the Dyakov-Kontorovich instability). This system may be relevant to the study of very high-Mach-number ionizing shocks in astrophysical situations.
KW - BLAST WAVES
KW - GASES
KW - INSTABILITY
KW - STABILITY
KW - PLASMAS
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.255001
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.255001
M3 - Journal article
VL - 103
JO - Physical review letters
JF - Physical review letters
SN - 0031-9007
IS - 25
M1 - 255001
ER -