Laser-arc interaction with metals

An investigation was made of the effectiveness of the simultaneous action of laser radiation and of an electric arc on metals. It was found that when the laser radiation power density exceeded a certain threshold, the anode spot of the arc became stabilized in the focusing region of the radiation. The stabilization effect was accompanied by an increase in the thermal efficiency of the energy sources. This was attributed to the appearance of hydrodynamic flow in the molten region (melt bath).