Rocket Thermal Ablation by Plasma Shock Waves in the Presence of Multiphoton Nonlinear Compton Scattering

Using the multiphoton nonlinear Compton scattering model and simulation methods, we investigated the thermal ablation effect of plasma shock waves on rocket surfaces. The quantitative relationships between shock wave power density, heating time, and rocket material melting/boiling temperatures were derived, and the optimal ablation conditions were determined. Results show that multiphoton nonlinear Compton scattering significantly enhances target heat generation rate, reducing the time and power density required for target melting/boiling. Favorable ablation is achieved when shock wave energy is 250 J with target distance 70–80 mm, or heating time 1.2–3.6 ms with target distance 28–80 mm. Within 400–2800 J/cm², ablation depth increases approximately linearly with energy density, while power density is inversely proportional to ablation spot size; the dominant ablation mechanism transitions from vaporization to melting with increasing spot size. These findings provide theoretical support for rocket thermal protection system optimization and enrich theories of multiphoton nonlinear interactions and plasma ablation.