A Model for Laser Produced Material Surface Evaporation.
Abstract
This study is to assess the feasibility of using a laser's radiation to remove masses on the order of milligrams from a target surface and to form a vapor jet which could then serve as the conducting channel in a giant power pulse discharge. A model based on an energy balance is presented which predicts the mass removed and the pressure, density and temperature of the material as it propagates from the target surface as functions of the pulse time and the absorbed power density. Combinations of laser pulse time and power density are considered for which the surface temperature remains low enough in order to avoid cut-off by a plasma plume in front of the target surface. A model of adiabatic jet expansion is presented to predict the radial expansion of the vapor plume as it propagates in the axial direction. Temperature, pressure and density are predicted after radial expansion using the model of adiabatic jet expansion. These models predict, theoretically, that the desired masses and limits on vapor plume expansion can be achieved using relatively low power densities for the proposed experiment. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA084903
Entities
People
- Geoffrey Lance Travers
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School