Damage to transparent polymers caused by laser pulses lasting 10−3 and 10−8 sec

A study has been made of the internal damage produced in transparent polymers by laser pulses lasting 10^–3 sec (free-generation mode) and 10^–8 sec (giant-pulse mode). It has been established that in these cases different mechanisms are responsible for the damage. The action of giant laser pulses on transparent polymers evidently provides the first and so far only means of studying fracture effects associated with the truly instantaneous application of load, i. e., when the load application time is much less than the fracture time.Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 493–497, 1967