SHADOW PHOTOGRAPHY OF LASER-DRIVEN SHOCK-WAVES IN AIR

The interaction of a pulsed TE-CO2-laser (10.6 mu m wavelength, 7 mu s pulse length, 0.7 J pulse energy, 10(7) W/cm(2) power density, 100 kW mean power) with metals in air was investigated, Laser-supported abso rption phenomena and material ablation processes are compared to those of conventional pulsed TEA-CO2-lasers. Of interest were the time-depe ndent plasma formation and the evolution of the shock waves. To achiev e a time resolution better than 10 ns, a pulsed dye laser was used as a light source for the shadow photography.