Hydrodynamic processes in a melt bath under laser–arc interaction conditions

An investigation is reported of the physical features of the hydrodynamic processes taking place in a melt bath in the case of the laser–arc interaction with metals when the laser radiation intensity was in the range 0.5–2 MW/cm². The velocity of the melt on the surface of the bath was determined experimentally. The dominant role of the vapor recoil pressure in the formation of liquid metal streams was noted. When the laser radiation intensity was ~ 2 MW/cm² the melt particles participated in a vibrational process which was superimposed on a vortex motion of the melt and complicated the mixing mechanism. A model of the process was proposed and its main characteristics were determined.