Numerical modeling of laser matter interaction in the presence of an ambient gas

A one dimensional numerical model to simulate the laser matter interaction in the presence of an ambient gas is presented. The model is developed by making appropriate modifications in MEDUSA, a one dimensional Lagrangian computer code, which simulates laser plasma interaction in vacuum. Various parameters of the plasma such as velocity, electron temperature, ion temperature, density, pressure, shock wave intensity of the plasma as it expands into a background gas are simulated. The results are compared with the experimental observations.