ALE Method for Simulations of Laser-Produced Plasmas

Abstract

Simulations of laser-produced plasmas are essential for laser-plasma interaction studies and for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) technology. Dynamics of such plasmas typically involves regions of large scale expansion or compression, which requires to use the moving Lagrangian coordinates. For some kind of flows such as shear or vortex the moving Lagrangian mesh however tangles and such flows require the use of arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) method. We have developed code PALE (Prague ALE) for simulations of laser-produced plasmas which includes Lagrangian and ALE hydrodynamics complemented by heat conductivity and laser absorption. Here we briefly review the numerical methods used in PALE code and present its selected applications to modeling of laser interaction with targets. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.