Calculation of the heating of materials by laser radiation allowing for the temperature dependences of thermal properties

A theoretical analysis is made of the axisymmetric spatial problem of the heating of a metal by a surface heat source distributed in accordance with the Gauss law. An approximate algorithm for the calculation of the temperature field is obtained on the assumption that the thermal properties (thermal conductivity λ and volume specific heat C_ν) are linear functions of temperature in the range considered. This algorithm can be used to obtain quantitative estimates without recourse to numerical methods. The rates of heating and rise of the surface temperature are calculated for a number of metals. The limits of validity of the proposed description of the heating of materials by laser radiation are discussed.