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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Measurement and Analysis of Atomic Hydrogen and Diatomic Molecular AlO, C2, CN, and TiO Spectra Following Laser-induced Optical Breakdown
Published on: February 14, 2014
Extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements of laser-shocked V and Ti and crystal phase transformation in
B Yaakobi1, D D Meyerhofer, T R Boehly
1Laboratory for Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, 250 East River Road, Rochester, New York 14623, USA.
Abstract:
Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), using a laser-imploded target as a source, can yield the properties of laser-shocked metals on a nanosecond time scale. EXAFS measurements of vanadium shocked to approximately 0.4 Mbar yield the compression and temperature in good agreement with hydrodynamic simulations and shock-speed measurements. In laser-shocked titanium at the same pressure, the EXAPS modulation damping is much higher than is warranted by the predicted temperature increase. This is shown to be due to the alpha-Ti to omega-Ti crystal phase transformation, known to occur below approximately 0.1 Mbar for slower shock waves.
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