Experimental characterization of the excitation state of picosecond laser-induced Tungsten plasmas

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series Vol. 550; no. 1; pp. 12047 - 9
• Main Authors: Pérès, Bastien, Morel, Vincent, Bultel, Arnaud, Benyagoub, Abdenacer, Monnet, Isabelle, Gardès, Emmanuel, Godard, Gilles, Gobin, Carole, Jouen, Corentin, Hideur, Ammar, Schneider, Ioan, Mezei, Zsolt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.01.2014; IOP Science
• Series: 13th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP-2014) 22–27 June 2014, Toulouse, France
• Subjects: Ablation; Diagnostic systems; Excitation; Fluence; Fusion reactors; Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy; Lasers; Nanostructure; Nuclear reactors; Physics; Plasma Physics; Plasmas; Plasmas (physics); Time; Tungsten
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596; 1742-6596; 1742-6588
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/550/1/012047

In order to quantitatively determine the retention of light atoms by plasma facing components (mainly tungsten) used in fusion reactors, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique can be used. The nanosecond laser regimes classically used for LIBS present major limitations mainly due to the conditions of the laser-matter interaction process itself and cannot be used in the present context. Picosecond laser pulses are more appropriate. To validate the diagnostic based on picosecond laser pulses, preliminary characterizations of the produced plasmas have to be performed. Some related results are reported in the present communication. The study is focused on (1) the ablation of tungsten under two laser (low and high) fluence conditions and (2) the excitation equilibrium of the plasma from the nanosecond to microsecond time scales.