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Intense electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) accompany the production of plasma when a high-intensity laser irradiates a solid target. The EMP occurs both during and long after the end of the laser pulse (up to hundreds of nanoseconds) within and outside the interaction chamber, and interferes with nearby electronics, which may lead to the disruption or malfunction of plasma diagnostic devices. This contribution reports a correlation between the frequency spectrum of the EMP and the distortion of Thomson parabola tracks of protons observed at the kJ-class PALS laser facility in Prague. EMP emission was recorded using a simple flat antenna. Ions accelerated from the front side of the target were simultaneously detected by a Thomson parabola ion spectrometer. The comparison of the two signals suggests that the EMP may be considered to be the source of parabolic track distortion.

This paper presents results obtained between 2010 and 2014 in the field of fan aerodynamics at the Department of Composite Technology at the VZLÚ aerospace research and experimental institute in Prague – Letnany. The need for rapid and accurate methods for the preliminary design of blade machinery led to the creation of a mathematical model based on the basic laws of turbomachine aerodynamics. The mathematical model, the derivation of which is briefly described below, has been encoded in a computer programme, which enables the theoretical characteristics of a fan of the designed geometry to be determined rapidly. The validity of the mathematical model is assessed continuously by measuring model fans in the measuring unit, which was developed and manufactured specifically for this purpose. The paper also presents a comparison between measured characteristics and characteristics determined by the mathematical model as the basis for a discussion on possible causes of measured deviations and calculation deviations.