Metal-insulator transition during pulse evaporation of metals under the action of optical radiation

An analysis is made of the likely manifestations of a metal-insulator transition during the transient regime of advanced evaportation of metals under the action of strong optical radiation. It is shown that a steep fall of the absorption coefficient may give rise to a horizontal region in the time dependence of the recoil pressure p (t) just before explosive breakup of a metastable superheated liquid phase.