Reflectivity of shock compressed xenon plasma

Experimental results [1] for the reflection coefficient of shock-compressed dense xenon plasmas at pressures of 1.6 - 17 GPa and temperatures around 30 000 K using a laser beam with lambda = 1. 06 mum are compared with calculations based on different theoretical approaches to the dynamical collision frequency. It is found that a reasonable description can be given assuming a spatial electron density profile corresponding to a finite width of the shock wave front of about 2 . 10(-6) m.