Material dependence on plasma shielding induced by laser ablation

Abstract

Plasma shielding is an important concept to study if the material damage could be suppressed with plasma layer properly prepared by absorbing the incoming plasma flux onto a divertor target in MFE or the first wall in IFE reactors. First experimental evidence of this effect is reported. Two plasma plumes (n ~1012/cm3, Te ~ 1 eV) are created with two laser beams. The laser ablation plasma plumes are created at laser energy density up to 10 J/cm2 and are crossed each other. 12~59% of the incoming plasma particles are shielded with the collisions of the other plasma plume. By observing the material dependence of colliding effects, the effect to plasma shielding is discussed. © 2012 The Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research.