Propagation of the shock wave generated from excimer laser heating of aluminum targets in comparison with ideal blast wave theory

Propagation of the shock wave generated during pulsed laser heating of aluminum targets was measured utilizing a probe beam deflection technique. The transit time of the laser-generated shock wave was compared with that predicted from the Sedov-Taylor solution for an ideal spherical blast wave. It was found that the most important parameters for the laser-generated shock wave to be consistent with the theoretically predicted propagation are the ambient pressure and the laser beam spot size. The prediction for laser energy conversion into the laser-induced vapor flow using the Sedov-Taylor solution overestimated the energy coupling efficiency, indicating a difference between a laser-induced gas-dynamic flow and an ideal blast wave. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.