Laser-induced breakdown in large transparent water droplets

Abstract

Recent experiments on the laser-induced breakdown (LIB) of large transparent liquid droplets are reviewed. A physical model of LIB processes is presented with the aim of integrating the following recent results: (1) the internal and near-field distributions for large transparent spheres; (2) the location of LIB initiation based on spatially resolved plasma emission spectroscopic techniques; (3) spatially resolved but time-averaged density of the plasma plumes and temperature of the atomic species within the plasma; (4) the plasma front propagation velocities inside and outside the droplet; and (5) the fate of the remaining superheated droplet and the expelled material.

© 1988 Optical Society of America

Internal and external laser-induced avalanche breakdown of single droplets in an argon atmosphere

W.-F. Hsieh, J. H. Eickmans, and R. K. Chang
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 4(11) 1816-1820 (1987)

Time-resolved shadowgraphs of large individual water and ethanol droplets vaporized by a pulsed CO₂ laser

Carol F. Wood, David H. Leach, Jian-Zhi Zhang, Richard K. Chang, and Peter W. Barber
Appl. Opt. 27(11) 2279-2286 (1988)

Explosive vaporization of a large transparent droplet irradiated by a high intensity laser

Jian-Zhi Zhang, Joseph K. Lam, Carol F. Wood, Boa-Teh Chu, and Richard K. Chang
Appl. Opt. 26(22) 4731-4737 (1987)

Laser-induced breakout and detonation waves in droplets. I. Experiments

Jia-biao Zheng, Wen-Feng Hsieh, Shu-chi Chen, and Richard K. Chang
J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 8(2) 319-328 (1991)

Plasma spectroscopy of H, Li, and Na in plumes resulting from laser-induced droplet explosion

Johannes H. Eickmans, Wen-Feng Hsieh, and Richard K. Chang
Appl. Opt. 26(17) 3721-3725 (1987)