Thermoelastic action of pulse-periodic laser radiation on the surface of a solid

An analysis is made of the thermoelastic action of high-power pulse-periodic laser radiation on the surface of a solid. The analysis is made using relationships, similar to Duhamel integrals, between the characteristics of the thermally stressed state on exposure to cw and arbitrarily time-varying laser radiation. Calculations are made of the dependences of the maximum laser radiation intensities causing impermissible elastic distortions of the surface, plastic flow of the material resulting in residual stresses, fatigue failure and melting of the surface layer.