Two-wavelength beam deflection technique for electron density measurements in laser-produced plasmas

Abstract
We describe the use of a two-wavelength beam deflection technique in the measurement of electron density and expansion velocity in a laser-produced plasma. Beam deflection measurements are made with a spatial resolution of 250 μm, temporal resolution of 25 ns, and a dynamic range of 1000. Several techniques for determining the spatial and temporal variation of the electron density from beam deflection measurements are described.