On the ignition of laser supported absorption waves from solid targets by CW CO2 laser radiation

An experimental research program is being carried out on the interaction of a continuous CO2 high power laser beam with metal targets, under experimental conditions typical of actual metal-working. An AVCO laser, capable of up to 15 kW power, is used to ignite laser supported absorption waves from the material. The study includes observations of the development and the propagation of the waves by high speed photography, measurements of 10.6 microns radiation transmitted through the medium above the interaction point and measurements of 10.6 microns radiation backscattered by the metal target and the wave. The effect of the lateral jet stream of different gases is also analyzed. In this paper these studies are reviewed and new results are shown.