ON THE THEORY OF GAS-BREAKDOWN DUE TO AEROSOL-LASER INTERACTION

The previously developed model of plasma formation caused by laser hea ting, evaporation and ionization of surface microdefects is modified t o determine the aerosol breackdown conditions. Simple analytical expre ssions for threshold laser radiation intensity depending on wavelendth , aerosol size and material, laser pulse shape, and evaporated volume of a particle have been obtained. The theory is compared with experime nts on breackdown of air, containing carbon particleshaving the size o f 0.1 - 25 mum, by CO2 and Nd lasers and with the resultes of the expl osive model.