Simulation of pulsed-laser-induced explosive boiling

Bulk evaporation process in absorbing condensed matter irradiated with laser pulses was studied using the one-dimensional thermal model with additional interfaces between different phases. Within this approach, it was shown that the repeated explosive boiling mode can be achieved using nanosecond laser pulses, if the nucleation time is shorter than 0.1 ns. This mode can be observed if the surface pressure is lower than the critical pressure P _c of the liquid-vapor phase transition. The dependences of these processes on the laser pulse intensity and duration, as well as on evaporation kinetics were studied. Explosive boiling and spallation of a transparent liquid film on a pulse-heated absorbing target, as well as the photoacoustic signal in the target before the explosion, were considered.     

Pulsed laser-induced ablation of absorbing liquids and acoustic-transient generation

2 CrO₄ are irradiated by a KrF excimer laser (λ=248 nm, FWHM=24 ns) with moderate energy density (up to 100 MW/cm²) below the plasma-formation threshold. The ablation process, including the vapor-cavity formation and the acoustic-wave propagation is visualized by laser-flash photography. The ablation thresholds are determined by measuring the generated pressure transients and vapor-phase kinetics using a broadband piezoelectric pressure transducer and a simultaneous optical-transmission probe, respectively. The mechanisms of liquid ablation and acoustic-pulse generation are investigated based on the thermoelastic behavior of the liquid medium and the evaporation dynamics. A numerical model is proposed to describe the explosive-vaporization process at high laser fluences. The computation results are compared with the experiment. In short-pulse heating, ablation can be initiated at low laser fluences by the tensile component of the thermoelastic stress without a significant increase in the liquid temperature. On the other hand, if the heating rate is rapid enough to achieve a high degree of superheating of the liquid, the abrupt increase of the homogeneous-bubble-nucleation rate leads to explosive vaporization, which then plays the major role in the ablation dynamics. The pressure transient in the liquid is generated thermoelastically at low laser fluences, but the contribution of the vapor-phase expansion and/or the recoil momentum exerted by the ablation plume becomes significant at high laser fluences. Shock waves are formed in the ambient air in the case of explosive vaporization. The propagation of these wave fronts is in good agreement with the numerical-computation results. Received: 8 February 1998/Accepted: 10 February 1998     

Microscopic Boiling of Liquid Nitrogen Induced by a Pulsed Laser Irradiation

An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the characteristics of microscopic boiling induced by firing a microsecond pulsed laser beam on a thin platinum (Pt) film that immerged in the liquid nitrogen (LN₂) cryostat. High-speed photography aided by a high-voltage lighting system was employed to visually observe the bubble formation and the dynamical boiling process of LN₂. A rapid transient temperature-measuring system was designed to record the temperature evolution of the heating surface. Explosive boiling, characterized by bubble cluster, was observed within LN₂ at the early stage of laser heating, and conventional boiling followed after a certain time. The transition time, therefore, was introduced for separating these two different boiling modes. The temperature of Pt film rose sharply to its maximum during laser pulse, with a very high rising rate of about 10⁷ K/s, and then dropped rapidly after laser irradiation. A model of bubble cluster was proposed to describe the explosive boiling heat transfer, and the latent heat released by bubble collapse in explosive boiling was explored as an important mechanism considerably influencing the boiling heat transfer.     

Nanosecond laser ablation for pulsed laser deposition of yttria

A thermal model to describe high-power nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of yttria (Y₂O₃) has been developed. This model simulates ablation of material occurring primarily through vaporization and also accounts for attenuation of the incident laser beam in the evolving vapor plume. Theoretical estimates of process features such as time evolution of target temperature distribution, melt depth and ablation rate and their dependence on laser parameters particularly for laser fluences in the range of 6 to 30 J/cm² are investigated. Calculated maximum surface temperatures when compared with the estimated critical temperature for yttria indicate absence of explosive boiling at typical laser fluxes of 10 to 30 J/cm². Material ejection in large fragments associated with explosive boiling of the target needs to be avoided when depositing thin films via the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique as it leads to coatings with high residual porosity and poor compaction restricting the protective quality of such corrosion-resistant yttria coatings. Our model calculations facilitate proper selection of laser parameters to be employed for deposition of PLD yttria corrosion-resistive coatings. Such coatings have been found to be highly effective in handling and containment of liquid uranium.     

A study of Rydberg np states of Cd I and the determination of cadmium evaporation heat

The np ³ P _{0, 1, 2} states of Cd I in the range n=15–60 were studied by three-stage laser excitation and electric-field ionization for the measurement of kinetics of cadmium evaporation. The saturated vapor pressure and the evaporation heat of cadmium in a temperature range of 300–535 K were determined.     

Laser synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanopowders

Magnetic iron oxide nanopowders are synthesized by the laser ablation of a target made of a coarse Fe₂O₃ powder. The geometric characteristics of the nanopowders and their yield are studied over a wide air pressure range ((1–34) × 10⁴ Pa) in an evaporation chamber. The phase compositions of the nanopowders and the conditions under which their chemical composition is closest to magnetite Fe₃O₄ are determined. The specific saturation magnetization and the coercive force of some iron oxide nanoparticles are measured.     

Effect of submillisecond radiation of the erbium laser on absorbing liquid

Pressure pulses occurring in water under the effect of submillisecond radiation of the Er³⁺:YAG laser on the free and covered liquid surface were measured. The behavior of pressure pulses is caused by the photoacoustic effect, explosive boiling of the superheated liquid surface layer, and cavitation processes developing after laser exposure.     

Explosive boiling in water exposed to q-switched erbium laser pulses

Pressure signals generated in water under the action of erbium laser pulses (100–200 ns, 2.94 μm) are investigated with lithium niobate piezoelectric transducer. For the first time multiply short (subnanosecond) pressure pulses standing against smooth pressure background are observed when the laser intensity exceeds explosive boiling threshold.     

Exact expressions for the potential functions of a molecule in terms of the probability amplitudes of electron transitions and their utilization in the inverse spectroscopic problem

The frequencies of 5s ³ S ₁-np ³ P ₁ Rydberg transitions, quantum defects for n=15–50, and energies of high-lying P states of the Zn atom were measured by three-step laser excitation with subsequent ionization by a pulsed electric field. Free Zn atoms were produced through effusion of Zn vapor from an atomizer during the thermal dissociation of ZnS molecules. The evaporation kinetics was studied, and the ZnS vapor pressure was measured by the detection of photoionic signals of Zn.     

Surface topography of ultrashort laser-irradiated CaF2

A single-crystal CaF₂ (111) was irradiated with single and multiple laser (Ti:sapphire, 800 nm, 25 fs) shots at fluences ranging from 0.25 to 1.5 J cm^?2. In this fluence regime, a single laser pulse usually leads to typical bump-like features ranging from 200 nm to 1.5 μm in diameter and 10–50 nm in height. These bumps are related to compressive stresses due to a pressure build-up induced by fast laser heating and their subsequent relaxation. When CaF₂ is irradiated with successive (in our case 20) shots at a laser fluence of 1.5 J cm^?2, nanocavities at the top of the microbumps are observed. The formation of these nanocavities is regarded as an explosion and is attributed to the explosive expansion generated by shock waves due to laser-induced plasma after the nonlinear absorption of the laser energy by the material. Such kinds of surface structures at the nanometre scale could be attractive for nanolithography.     

Die Reaktion54Xe(n, α)52Te mit Neutronen der Energie 12,5 bis 18,0 MeV

The reaction₅₄Xe(n, α)₅₂Te was investigated in the neutron energy range 12.5 to 18.0 MeV. A high pressure gas scintillator filled either with pure xenon of natural isotopic abundance or with a mixture of xenon and helium was used as a target and as a detector simultaneously. The helium served as a monitor, (n, α)-spectra were measured and analyzed by evaporation theory. Large components of direct processes were found. The level density parameter of⁵²Te was determined as (17.0±1.7) MeV^?1. The cross section excitation function is given as well as the branching ratios for evaporation and direct processes as a function of neutron energy.     

Parametric study of the IRMPD of CF2HCl molecules with the 9P22 CO2 laser line

The separation of ¹³C by infrared multiple photon decomposition (IRMPD) of CF₂HCl has been parametrically studied in relation with some key parameters such as the laser fluence, the number of laser pulses, and the gas pressure. The process selectivity, the depletion of the ¹³C isotope in the residual gas, the relative amount of ¹³C separated per pulse, and the energy expenditure were determined as a function of the above mentioned parameters, and conclusions were drawn concerning the efficiency of the separation process. An isotopic selectivity of about 40 was obtained in the investigated range of pressure. At 10 Torr of pure CF₂HCl, the ¹³C depletion in the residual gas was 45% when only 300 laser pulses were used. A maximum amount of 4.6×10^–10 kg ¹³C separated per pulse was obtained.     

Surface modifications of TiN coating by pulsed TEA CO2 and XeCl lasers

Interactions of a transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) CO₂ laser and an excimer XeCl laser, pulse durations ∼2 μs (initial spike FWHM ∼100 ns) and ∼20 ns (FWHM), respectively, with polycrystalline titanium nitride (TiN) coating deposited on high quality steel AISI 316, were studied. Titanium nitride was surface modified by the laser beams, with an energy density of 20.0 J/cm² (TEA CO₂ laser) and 2.4 J/cm² (XeCl laser), respectively. The energy absorbed from the CO₂ laser beam is partially converted to thermal energy, which generates a series of effects such as melting, vaporization of the molten material, shock waves, etc. The energy from the excimer XeCl laser primarily leads to fast and intense target evaporation. The calculated maximum temperatures on the target surface were 3770 and 6300 K for the TEA CO₂ and XeCl lasers, respectively. It is assumed that the TEA CO₂ laser affects the target deeper, for a longer time than the XeCl laser. The effects of the XeCl laser are confined to a localized area, near target surface, within a short time period.Morphological modifications of the titanium nitride surface can be summarized as follows: (i) both lasers produced ablation of the TiN coating in the central zone of the irradiated area and creation of grainy structure with near homogeneous distribution; (ii) a hydrodynamic feature, like resolidified droplets of the material, appeared in the surrounding peripheral zone; (iii) the process of irradiation, in both cases, was accompanied by appearance of plasma in front of the target.Target color modifications upon laser irradiation indicate possible chemical changes, possibly oxidation.     

A miniature tunable TEA CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser using isotope <Superscript>13</Superscript>C<Superscript>16</Superscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> and <Superscript>12</Superscript>C<Superscript>16</Superscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A miniature tunable TEA CO₂ laser using isotope ¹³C¹⁶O₂ as the active medium is developed to extend the spectral range of CO₂ lasers for further application. The optimization of the energy parameters of the tunable TEA ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser and the same laser using ¹²C¹⁶O₂ are studied. When a gas mixture (¹³C¹⁶O₂: N₂: He = 1: 1: 3) at a total pressure of 6.4 × 10⁴ Pa is used, the TEA ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser of a 45-cm³ active volume obtains 51 emission lines in the [00⁰1–10⁰0] and [00⁰1–02⁰0] bands. The maximum pulse energy of the TEA ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser is about 357 mJ. The same laser using the conventional gas mixture (¹²C¹⁶O₂: N₂: He = 1: 1: 3) at a pressure of 6.66 × 10⁴ Pa is measured to obtain 69 laser emission lines and the maximum pulse energy of laser radiation is about 409 mJ.     

Study of explosive boiling of transparent liquid on metal substrate exposed to nanosecond laser pulses

Preliminary experimental investigation of photoacoustic pressure signals induced by nanosecond laser pulses in aluminum targets contacting a water layer was performed. It was shown that for some laser intensities the signal has a two-peak structure. The first peak is due to the thermoelastic effect, while the other results from the explosive evaporation. At low intensities, only the first peak is observed. At sufficiently high intensities, the signal recovers the one-peak shape and becomes narrower as compared with the two-peak shape because of the rapid increase in evaporation pressure and earlier beginning of the explosive evaporation.     

Experimental study of laser-induced thermal ignition in O2/O3 mixtures

O₂/O₃ mixtures are ignited by absorption of laser pulses of a TEA CO₂ laser along the axis of a cylindrical cell. The dependence of the radial propagation of the O₃ decomposition, detected by uv absorption of the ozone, on laser fluence and on O₃ concentration is investigated. Oscillations of the signals are identified to be the first radial acoustic mode of the cell. For mixtures of 0.35 bar and 0.70 bar total pressure and O₃ percentages within 20–50%, the ignition limit is in the order of 0.1–0.2 J/cm³ (absorbed energy density). These values are in reasonable agreement with the results of the corresponding numerical simulations.     

Experimental study of conditions for the 3D laser cladding of nickel aluminide

The layerwise laser cladding of powdered alloy based on intermetallic gamma Ni₃Al phase is studied. The effect deposition parameters have on the geometry of the deposited beads is shown. Microstructures are investigated and the cracking susceptibility of the deposited material is analyzed. The effective deposition parameters are determined within a range of specific laser energy inputs of (2–8) × 10⁶ J kg^?1 at beam scanning rates of (1.67–10) × 10^?3 m/s and a powder feed of 6.3 × 10^?5 kg/s^?1.     

Shock waves in laser-pulse-irradiated metals

In an earlier paper [1] the temperature as a function of time and distance from the surface of a metal after the application of a laser pulse had been calculated. The assumption was made that only heat conduction is responsible for the dissipation of energy provided that the input fluence of the laser pulse is below the threshold for ablation. In this investigation an estimate for the pressure in the shock wave as a function of time and distance is presented. The assumption mentioned above is valid up to an input fluence of about φ=10 mJ/cm². For larger fluences (but below the ablation threshold) a correction for the dissipation of acoustic energy must be applied. The effect of surface evaporation on T_max and p_max of metals with high melting point is discussed. With fast pulses and/or relatively low velocities of sound, maximum pressures p_max of the shock wave are calculated which are higher than the corresponding stationary values (see (4)). Received: 27 April 2000 / Final version: 6 June 2000 / Accepted: 8 June 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

Effect of air pressure on the spatial and emission characteristics of an aluminum laser torch under subthreshold conditions of ablation

The spatial characteristic of an aluminum laser-induced plasma are studied at a laser radiation intensity of (3.8–4.8) × 10⁸ W/cm² and an air residual pressure of 6.7–133.3 Pa. It is found that the duration of the aluminum plasma glow is 50 μs and decreases with decreasing laser power output. The glow intensity reaches a maximum at t = 1.4 μs and rises with laser energy. Typical sizes of the emitting area on the laser torch are determined.     

Laser cleaning of glass

The pulse lasers, YAG-, CO₂-, and N₂-lasers, are examined for use in the cleaning of glass. Cleaning is found to be due to the evaporation and sputtering of stains on the glass by the heat energy of the laser light. Only the N₂ laser can be used for the cleaning of the exit surface of the glass (the opposite side to the laser). A laser with a high peak power of about 10⁶J/s and short-pulse duration below 100 ns is found to be necessary in practice.