Laser generation of acoustic waves in the ablative regime

A practical model of acoustic wave generation by a pulsed laser source in the ablative regime is presented. The pressure exerted on the surface during Q-switched laser heating is calculated through a finite difference solution of the vaporization problem. The epicentral displacement is found through summation of the displacement field induced by the vaporization process with that caused by thermoelastic expansion. The model is restricted to the weakly ablative regime in the absence of a backing gas. The results are compared to the epicentral displacements generated in aluminum samples under rough vacuum conditions at generating wavelengths of 532 and 1064 nm. The waveforms compare well over a limited irradiance range. The effects of rough vacuum conditions on the generated acoustic signals are also examined and compared to signals generated in the presence of a backing gas. The divergence in the shape and amplitude of these signals observed under highly ablative conditions is discussed. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)06104-6].