Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 December 2005
Two-dimensional (2D) FLASH simulations were run with Spitzer-Härm conductivity on and off in an attempt to simulate a laser-produced blast wave. Dissociation, ionization, recombination, and radiative cooling were not included. An initial Gaussian temperature profile with T0 = 120 eV and spot radius r0 = 25 μm was used assuming 1 μm thickness of the CH disk is ablated into the background nitrogen gas. Evolution of the blast wave differs slightly between the cases of Spitzer-Härm on and off, and neither case matches well with experiment. Due to the high temperatures involved, a thermal wave should be expected such that the Spitzer-Härm conductivity on case is more likely. A simulation run with an initial temperature of ∼ 4 keV might match better with experiment.