Abstract:
An automated system was used to study the optical characteristics of erosion jets formed by the interaction of neodymium laser radiation of 100–1500 J pulse energy with targets of zinc, lead, magnesium, cadmium, and bismuth. Low-threshold bursts of absorption were initiated by liquid droplet particles of the target material. The range of neodymium laser energies in which these particles exerted a strong influence on the optical characteristics of the erosion jets was determined.