Initial stage of extended laser breakdown in liquids

The kinetics of a laser breakdown in liquids has been studied both theoretically and experimentally, taking into account stimulated scattering. In particular, the kinetics of the initial stage of a nonlinear interaction between single-pulse ruby laser radiation and a liquid as well as final breakdowns have been studied by spectral, schlieren and interferometric methods. The pressure fields were measured by piezoelectric pickups. It has been shown that the directions of optical breakdown coincide with those of the stimulated Mandel'shtam-Brillouin and stimulated Raman scattering.<
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