Spectroscopic Characterization of Post-Cluster Argon Plasmas During the Blast Wave Expansion

In this work we present temperature diagnostics of an expanding laser-produced argon plasma. A short-pulse (35fs) laser with an intensity of I = 1017W/cm2 deposits ∼ 100 mJ of energy into argon clusters. This generates a hot plasma filament that develops into a cylindrically expanding shock. We develop spectral diagnostics for the temperatures of the argon plasma in the shock region and the preionized region ahead of the shock. A collisional-radiative model is applied to explore line intensity ratios derived from Ar II - Ar IV spectra that are sensitive to temperatures in a few eV range. The results of hydrodynamic simulations are employed to derive a time dependent radiative transport calculation that generates the theoretical emission spectra from the expanding plasma