Abstract
We report on the first implementation of a miniature laser-driven shock tube (LDST) of 5 × 5 mm cross section and 50-mm length for generating and studying strong shock waves (SW) and hypersonic gas flows with M > 10. Operation of the LDST is based on the acceleration of a thin CH-film by ablative plasma pressure produced when the film is irradiated by high-energy UV pulse of the GARPUN KrF laser (100 J & 100-ns). The film serves as a piston that pushes a SW in the gas filling the LDST. An optical system based on a multi-element prism raster provides focusing of KrF laser beam into 7 × 7 mm square spot with 100 J/cm2 energy fluence (1 GW/cm2 intensity) with inhomogeneity ∼3 % across the LDST aperture. It is expected that the LDST with KrF laser driver can be an effective tool for studying hydrodynamic phenomena, such as hydrodynamic instabilities and transition to a turbulence, hypersonic gas flow around bodies, reflection and cumulation of strong SW.
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