Distribution of Self-Generated Current in Laser-Produced Plasmas

Abstract
The current associated with the self-generated magnetic field has been measured in air and nitrogen at various pressures in a 4-J, 30-nsec-Nd-laser-produced plasma using a fast probe embedded in the copper target. The results reveal an active participation of the target in the current-flow process with anodic and cathodic regions, the source of the current (magnetic field) being at the plasma-target interface.