Numerical simulation of the temperature field in laser-driven flyer plates by high power nanosecond laser-material interactions

A two-dimensional numerical model was proposed for the laser-induced temperature field and the acceleration process of laser-driven flyers by a high-intensity laser pulse. This model includes absorption of laser energy, equation of state, thermal parameters and the dynamic rupture strength of the metal film. Assuming that the working vapour can be treated as a typical ideal gas, a dynamics expansion mechanism was established for the vapour generated by laser irradiation. Using the finite difference method, the temperature distributions and the magnitude of flyer velocity with a laser energy up to 10 J were simulated for aluminium films of different thicknesses. The numerical results agreed with the experimental data but systematically underestimated the flyer speeds. The present results can provide some insights into understanding the mechanism of laser-driven flyer plates as well as experimental parameters for flyer plate design.