Laser-induced thickness stretch motion of a transversely constrained irradiated slab

This paper is concerned with the dynamic response of a transversely constrained, but arbitrarily thick slab due to a Holobeam model 630-Q Nd pulsed laser irradiation normal to the slab. The laser beam energy density is adjusted to cause heating of the slab, but to avoid phase change (melting) of the slab material. During the initial stages of the thickness stretch motion, the transversely constrained irradiated slab is considered a one-dimensional problem through the thickness with a uniform laser irradiation over the effective laser beam diameter. Solutions are obtained for the time-dependent deformation and stress fields through the thickness of the slab within the framework of classical uncoupled dynamic thermoelasticity theory and classical methods in boundary value problems. The plots confirm a wave nature of deflections that various points through the thickness are undisturbed until the wave reaches the points.