Modelling the initial plasma dynamics in a laser triggered vacuum switch

Abstract

The numerical simulations of the initial plasma dynamics induced by 1064 nm laser irradiation on a KCl-Ti mixture target in a laser-triggered vacuum switch are performed. The simulation results showed that laser irradiance strongly affects the dynamics of the initial plasma. With higher laser fluence, the plasma plume will have higher temperatures and densities, and the shock front will also move faster. During the laser ablation, the plasma shielding is a non-negligible process. As the degree of ionization increases, the absorption coefficient of the plume increases and the it begins to absorb the laser energy. The temperature and velocity of the plume increase dramatically as it absorbs laser energy. When laser fluence gets higher, the plasma shielding starts with a shorter time and a larger proportion of the laser energy is absorbed by the plume.