Laser acceleration of thin foils

A method for studying the characteristics of laser-induced ablative acceleration of thin foils is described. The method is based on the electrocontact measurement of the time of foil flight through base distances in the air atmosphere. Results of experiments on the laser acceleration of foils in cylindrical and conical channels for laser radiation intensities up to 2×10¹¹ W cm^-2 are presented. The results obtained were used in experiments to determine the split-off strength of aluminium targets at high strain rates, the accelerated aluminium foils being used as strikers.