Condensation of ablation plumes in the irradiation of metals by high-intensity nanosecond laser pulses at atmospheric pressure

The Anisimov–Luk'yanchuk model is adapted for describing the condensation of vapour-plasma plumes produced in the irradiation of metal targets by high-intensity (10⁸–10¹⁰ W cm^-2) nanosecond (10–100 ns) pulses at atmospheric pressure. The resultant data suggest that the initial stages of the development of metal ablation plumes correspond with a high degree of accuracy to the Zel'dovich–Raizer theory of dynamic condensation; however, at the stage of the ablation plume decay, the liquid-droplet phase is formed primarily by coalescence of 'nuclei'.