Measurement of the expansion of picosecond laser-produced plasmas using resonance absorption profile spectroscopy

Abstract
Time-resolved, submicron density scale lengths in picosecond laser-produced plasmas are measured using resonance absorption profile spectroscopy. The density scale length at critical density is inferred from the angle and polarization dependence of the absorption of a picosecond laser pulse in a performed plasma. The early expansion of picosecond laser-produced plasmas produced from an Au target is studied, with measured scale lengths in the range of 1000–5000 Å.