High-power lasers are used to compress a plasma (a gas of charged particles) by
ID: 2258537 • Letter: H
Question
High-power lasers are used to compress a plasma (a gas of charged particles) by radiation pressure. A laser generating radiation pulses with peak power 1900 MW is focused onto 1.3 mm2 of high-electron-density plasma. Find the pressure exerted on the plasma if the plasma reflects all the light beams directly back along their paths.
Please show work and type out the final answer
Explanation / Answer
Pressure exerted = P = 2* I / C = 2 * P / C * A.
P = ( 2 * 1900 * 10^6 ) / (3*10^8 * 1.3 * 10^-6 ) Pa = 9.74 * 10^6Pa
Hence pressure exerted on plasma is 9.74*10^6 Pa.