Measurement of the energy parameters of a laser plasma

The shock "wave" and "ions" methods are described for measuring the laser energy absorbed by a target. The aim of these methods is to determine the absorbed energy by calculation from the shock wave (R-t) parameters and ion currents. Methods are also described for determining the velocity distribution function of the plasma ions and the electron temperature in the criticaldensity corona region using ion collectors. These methods were used in a study of the effects of irradiation of gas-filled glass microspheres in the Sokol high-power laser facility.