Influence of shock wave front on nature of luminescence of recombining laser plasma

Space-time and spectral measurements were made of the radiation characteristics of a laser plasma interacting with a flat screen. The space-time measurements were used to construct the directivity pattern of the velocities of movement of the fastest component of the plasma, to find the rate of movement of the main mass of the plasma filament, to determine the rate at which the shock wave withdraws from the screen, and to estimate the propagation velocity of the electron heating tongue. It was found through direct observation that the intensity of the continuous spectrum increases somewhat in the zone of conductive heating, where recombination pumping (and, accordingly, ion line luminescence) occur. It was found that the radiation characteristics of a laser plasma interacting with a solid state obstacle is determined by the structure of the shock wave front in the plasma. The fact that recombination population of levels intensifies in the shock wave density discontinuity can be used to amplify radiation on multiply-charged ion transitions.