Steam and gas plume evolution during laser treating of metals in liquid

Evolution of steam and gas plume generation on the surface of the irradiated metal was investigated experimentally. It is shown that on using GOR-100M operating in free oscillating regime the form of a crater developed on being in water the irradiated target surface differs in essence from the topography of the crater developed on processing by laser pulse with the same parameters of the analogical target surrounded by air on normal pressure (10
⁵
Pa). It is pointed that the substantial difference of the forms of crater surfaces developed as a result of processing of the identical targets by laser pulses with the identical parameters of the identical targets being in water or air determines by principally different character of plasma and steam and gas mixture flow in the mentioned cases.