Laser-Driven Miniflyer System; LA-14150

Los Alamos, NM: Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2004. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. Very good. v, [1], 70, [2] pages plus covers. Illustrations (many with color). Miniflyer Publications. References. This paper describes a laser-driven MiniFlyer system used at Los Alamos National Laboratory for small-scale shock physics research. The system consists of a single shot Nd:glass driving laser; beam shaping optics; a sample holder, containing the flyer plate assembly and target material; and diagnostic equipment such as velocity interferometers. The beam from the driving laser, when incident on the flyer plate assembly, generates plasma that launches a small thin flyer plate ( 3 mm in diameter by 0.05 to 0.10 mm thick) at velocities up to 1 mm/us. This flyer plate impacts a target material, producing a shock wave. Various dynamic material properties, such as spall strength, can be determined from these experiments. The laser driving system is described in detail, along with several types of diagnostics used to determine the nature of the experiments and to measure the shock parameters. In addition, experiments are described to provide information about the type of research that can be done with this system. Data from these experiments are shown to add important new information concerning the dynamic spall behavior of copper. The experimental layout addressed drive laser characteristics, substrate window coating, flyer plates, target description, sample holders, VISAR setup, Line ORVIS, and a Stereoscopic Camera system. Representative measurements included General Flyer Velocity versus Driving-Laser Energy, Copper Spall Measurements, Uranium Spall Measurements, Stereo Measurement, and Hugoniot Measurement with the ORVIS. Modeling of the Laser/Substrate/Coatings/Flyer interaction was addressed followed by a discussion of conclusion and future work.