Radiation emitted from a plasma created by the action of a СО2 laser pulse on a target in a vacuum

Numerical calculations are given of the emission spectrum of an aluminum plasma created by СО₂ laser radiation of moderate power. These calculations and experiments with a pulsed СО₂ laser showed the bulk of the thermal radiation from the plasma to be represented by photons with energies exceeding 11 eV. It was found for the first time that when a target is exposed to СО₂ laser radiation, the efficiency with which the laser radiation energy is converted into thermal radiation energy from the plasma is higher than in the case of a neodymium laser under the same conditions, and reaches approximately 30–50%.