Ultrafast laser induced compression in aluminum

We report on theoretical and experimental studies of laser induced shock waves in aluminuminduced by a short pulse laser (100ps time scale regime). The main focus is to study the impact of tamper materials and sample geometries on the maximum pressures achievable using tabletop laser system, informing future laser induced shock experiments. We also investigated the hot electron penetration depth in the aluminum using arrival time data to provide a benchmark for the amount of material ablated during compression. Experimental results are used to better understand the underlying physics of laser induced compression in the ultrafast (100ps) time regime at intensities of ≈ 1010W/cm2. Simulations using a hydrocode are aimed to investigate the initial plasma formation in a sample. The simulation is compared to the experimental data with the corresponding sample and laser parameters to test the validity of the codes in the timescales of 100 ps.