Inertial effects in laser-driven ablation

The gasdynamic partial differential equations (PDE's) governing the motion of an ablatively accelerated target (rocket) contain an inertial force term that arises mathematically from acceleration of the reference frame in which the PDE's are written, and more physically from the requirement that part of the ablated mass (the deflagration wave zone) needs to be accelerated along with the unablated mass (payload). We give a simple, intuitive description of this effect, and estimate its magnitude and parametric dependences by means of approximate analytical formulas inferred from our computer hydrocode calculations. Often this inertial term is negligible, but for problems in the areas of laser fusion and laser equation of state studies we find that it can reduce the attainable hydrodynamic efficiency of acceleration and implosion by up to 25% for typical conditions