Picosecond Microphotography as a Diagnostic Method for Laser Produced Plasmas

Abstract A single picosecond pulse from a mode-locked dye laser was used for time resolved microphotography of the gasdynamic phenomena occurring in a lasertarget interaction experiment. A time resolution of 5 ps and a spatial resolution of better than 10 μm were experimentally obtained. Results are presented for the case of laser irradiation of a thin foil, shock wave propagation in a transparent target, expansion of the hot plasma and blast wave formation in a background gas.