Design of laser-generated shockwave experiments. An approach using analytic models

Two of the target-physics phenomena which must be understood before a clean experiment can be confidently performed are preheating due to suprathermal electrons and shock decay due to a shock-rarefaction interaction. Simple analytic models are described for these two processes and the predictions of these models are compared with those of the LASNEX fluid physics code. We have approached this work not with the view of surpassing or even approaching the reliability of the code calculations, but rather with the aim of providing simple models which may be used for quick parameter-sensitivity evaluations, while providing physical insight into the problems