Laser/matter interactions by laser-launched plates and direct laser shocks

Explosives, gas guns, laser-launched flyer plates, and direct laser-irradiation can be used to generate shocks and high-stress in materials. Each method has a unique diameter and thickness of shock that can be generated. In past years, small laboratory lasers have been used to launch flyer plates 2 - 200-pm thick to terminal velocities 0.1 to 5 k d s . Over the past few years we have been using our TRIDENT laser facility (1kJ in 0.2 to 2ps) to accelerate larger diameter (8 mm) and thicker (0.1 - 1.5 mm) flyer plates. These larger diameters and thicker one-dimensional plates more closely compliment traditional experimental methods such as gas guns. The 8-mm diameter and 1-mm thick flyer plates can impart shocks in metals for constitutive dynamic property measurements. The versatility of laser-driven plates permits spatial and temporal profiles of the flyer plate impact on sample targets. LASNEX models and parameters of the laser drive can be used to optimize optical coupling efficiency. The flyer plate launch, acceleration, terminal velocity, and, depending on the experiment, flyer plate impact on to target materials are recorded using point-interferometry (VISAR), and line-imaging interferometry. These high speed optical and laser experimental methods will be described along with ancillary methods, and material data. Constitutive properties of bulk materials, rate effects, and grain size and/or orientation have been studied for several metals including copper, beryllium, gold, and some alloys