Computer simulation of graphite target ablation under the action of a nanosecond laser pulse

A quasi-gasdynamic approach is used for computer simulation of plasma expansion from a graphite plate subjected to a nanosecond laser pulse. A one-component plasma consisting of carbon molecules alone is considered. This simplifies the experimental conditions used previously to study the dynamics of the gas resulting from evaporation. The results of computer experiment conducted for different initial temperatures and pressures of the plasma are in good qualitative agreement with the real experimental data including in the time instant the density of the expanding gas reaches a maximum. It is shown that high-density clusters are likely to appear in front of the main plasma flux. The results of the computer simulation are compared with the Singh approximation of pressure, velocity, and density of the gas flow. It is concluded that this approximation is valid only within a short (compared with the entire expansion length) plasma expansion interval existing during the initial spread for t = 4 × 10^?9 s.