A. Sollier et al., Numerical modeling of the transmission of breakdown plasma generated in water during laser shock processing, EPJ-APPL PH, 16(2), 2001, pp. 131-139
The transmission of breakdown plasma generated in water during laser shock
processing experiments was investigated theoretically. A numerical model ba
sed on a rate equation formalism has been developed to calculate the charac
teristics (peak irradiance and duration) of the laser pulses transmitted th
rough the breakdown plasmas generated in water. Results are in good agreeme
nt with previous experimental data for 25 ns-1064 nm laser pulses. Above 10
GW/cm(2), the transmitted peak irradiance saturates and the transmission s
tarts to decrease. The results have been extended to shorter wavelengths (5
32 and 355 nm). At 1064 nm, the breakdown process is dominated by avalanche
ionization, whereas for shorter wavelengths, multiphoton ionization plays
the major role.