Generation of an electric signal in the interaction of HF-laser radiation with bottom surface of a water column

Generation of an electrical signal (ES) is experimentally investigated in the interaction of the pulse of a non-chain electric-discharge HF laser with the bottom surface of a water column. It was found that the ES amplitude is influenced by thin water layers (water contacts) present in the system under study, which undergo mechanical action in the process of water column movement initiated by the laser. Approximately ten-fold increase in the ES amplitude is observed if the water layer is present in the gap between the end of the water cell and surface of the quartz plate covering the cell and having a contact with the top water column boundary, as compared to the case of the free top boundary. Possible reasons for the thin water layer influence on ES characteristics and for the mechanism for the second ES peak origin in collapsing of the vapour cavity produced during water volume explosive boiling under the laser radiation are qualitatively discussed.