Ablation Holes in Tape Targets Induced by Ultra-Intense Laser Pulses

TL;DR

This paper introduces a theoretical model that predicts the size of through-holes in tape targets created by ultra-intense laser pulses, aligning well with experimental observations.

Contribution

The study presents a novel theoretical approach to accurately predict laser-induced hole dimensions in tape targets, based on heat transfer and evaporation mechanisms.

Findings

Model accurately predicts hole sizes in experiments

Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results

Highlights importance of electron heat transfer in laser-target interactions

Abstract

We present a theoretical modelling able to predict the dimensions of mm-sized through-holes produced in interactions of the 1 PW high-power 30fs Ti:Sa laser VEGA-3 with tape targets. We find that sizes of through-holes can be calculated by assuming that the full heat transferred from the laser-heated electron population to the target by electron-electron collisions drives the evaporation of target material. We demonstrate the good reproduction of experimental results.