On the gas kinetics of laser-induced evaporation of metals

Abstract

Irradiation of a metal surface by a high intensity laser beam produces an evaporation jet of metal vapour. The properties of a steady evaporation jet are discussed essentially for the one-dimensional case with an extension to small flow divergences. There are three regimes, e.g. a Knudsen layer adjacent to the metal surface, a condensation regime and a hydrodynamic regime. Estimates of temperature, density, average velocity, degree of condensation and decrease of pressure along the jet are given.