Laser interferometry of high density shocked plasma

Laser is a very suitable light source of the interferometer. The advantages of the use of a laser come from the excellent coherency or long coherent length, good monochromaticity and high intensity. We have measured the density of shocked plasmas by using Mach-Zehnder interferometer with He-Ne gas laser. This device seems to be very powerful to investigate fast transient phenomena in high electron density such as plasma shock waves. The precise experiments are going on. (author)