Explosive vaporization of metallic sodium microparticles by CW resonant laser radiation - art. no. 215002

Explosive vaporization of metallic Na microparticles stimulated by resonant ew laser radiation has been observed in a glass cell. Vaporization occurs at low laser-power density. The effect consists in the generation of optica lly thick and sharply localized Na vapor clouds propagating in the cell aga inst the laser beam. The effect is explained by laser excitation of Na atom s, which collide onto the surface of the microparticles and transfer their internal energy. This causes other atoms to be vaporized and to continue th e avalanche process.