QUASI-STATIONARY MODEL FOR DETERMINATION OF ABLATION PARAMETERS IN SOFT-X-RAY-DRIVEN LOW-Z TO MEDIUM-Z PLASMA ABLATION

We present a quasistationary model for soft-x-ray-driven ablation of low- to medium-Z plasmas. In this model, the sonic point density is determined self-consistently with the hydrodynamic conservation laws. When this model is applied to an aluminum plasma created by soft-x-ray irradiation, the calculation results for ablation parameters are in good agreement with the published experimental results obtained in the incident x-ray flux region of 1012 1013 W/cm2. Including the higher x-ray flux region, power-law relations for the ablation parameters, such as the sonic point density, the mass ablation rate, and the ablation pressure, are presented. As an application of this model, the rocket foil acceleration due to soft-x-ray-driven ablation is discussed. © 1990 The American Physical Society.