Past exam of the short options paper shared by Prelims and Parts A and B of the physics course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / S16 / 3 / 1 / Solution

Use a steady planar sonic ablation model with absorbed intensity $I_a$, critical mass density ${\rho }_c=(A_i/Z)m_u{n}_c$, and $n_c={ϵ}_0{m}_e(2\pi c/\lambda {)}^2/e^2$. In the usual isothermal-electron sonic balance, $I_a\simeq 4{\rho }_c{c}_s^3$ and the ablation pressure is $P_A\simeq 2{\rho }_c{c}_s^2$. Eliminating $c_s$ givesFor $A_i/Z\simeq 2$ and complete absorption, the supplied laser parameters give about $1.15\times 10^{13}$ Pa, or $115$ Mbar. Mach one alone fixes neither the material mass per electron nor the enthalpy/absorption coefficient. Different sonic-flow closures change the order-one constant; incomplete absorption multiplies the estimate by its fraction to power $2/3$. The robust result is the two-thirds scaling, rather than a material-independent numerical pressure.