COMPOSITION AND DYNAMICS OF AN EROSION PLASMA PRODUCED BY MICRO-SECOND LASER-PULSES

The ion and energy compositions were determined and the dynamics was s tudied of an erosion jet formed by microsecond CO2 laser pulses incide nt on a graphite target. The ionic emission lines were used to find th e electron density and temperature of the plasma on the target surface . The temperature of the plasma source did not change throughout the l ime emission time (4 mu s). At the plasma recombination stage the lien s of the C II, C III, and C IV ions were accompanied by bands of the C -2 molecule near the target surface and also near the surface of an ob stacle when a plasma flux interacted with it. Ways were found for cont rolling the jet expansion anisotropy and for producing plasma fluxes w ith controlled parameters by selection of the conditions during format ion of a quasi-steady erosion plasma flux.