The dynamics of the expansion of the plasma plume induced by laser ablation
of a copper target at a fluence of 17 J/cm(2) was investigated theoretical
ly by means of a Monte Carlo simulation. When the expansion occurs under a
relatively high pressure, the ambient gas particles may be involved in the
collective motion of the plume. The simulation allows the study of the simu
ltaneous collective motion of different species, such as the laser-ablated
and the ambient gas particles. The influence of the background gas, nature
and pressure on the laser-induced plasma plume expansion behavior was studi
ed.
The expansion dynamics were found to be different in the case of the expans
ion in ambient gases of different molecular weight. The dynamics of the plu
me expansion under an argon pressure of 200 Pa seem to be strongly related
to the equilibration of the pressure gradients in the gas phase, and eviden
ce of the oscillatory behavior of the plume expansion was shown from the ev
olution over time of the pressure profiles in the plume. This behavior has
also been observed in similar conditions for a krypton atmosphere, but fora
lower pressure than for argon. The vortical flow formation at the plume pe
riphery, involving both the laser-ablated and the argon particles at modera
te pressure, was also predicted from the Monte Carlo simulation.