Stagnation and interpenetration of laser-created colliding plasmas

An experiment that observed the collision of aluminum laser produced (Al) and magnesium (Mg) plasmas is described in an accompanying paper [Phys. Fluids B 4, ▪▪▪▪ (1992)]. Time- and space-resolved measurements were made of the electron density, Lyα and Heα lines of Al and Mg, and x-ray pinhole images. These measurements are interpreted with the use of a two ion fluid hydrodynamic model and a time-dependent atomic physics model. The qualitatively successful modeling of the line emission confirms that at early times, the Al interpenetrates the counterstreaming Mg plasma and deposits in the dense Mg region. At late times, the Al plasma stagnates against the Mg plasma, approximately halfway between the initial disk surfaces.