Computational modeling of physical processes during laser ablation

A combined theoretical and experimental effort to model various physical processes during laser ablation of solids using a variety of computational techniques is described. Currently the focus of the modeling is on the following areas: (a) rapid transformations through the liquid and vapor phases under possibly nonequilibrium thermodynamic conditions induced by laser-solid interactions; (b) breakdown of the vapor into a plasma in the early stages of ablation through both electronic and photoionization processes; (c) hydrodynamic behavior of the vapor/plasma during and after ablation; and (d) the effects of initial conditions in the vapor, in particular, the nature of the initial velocity distribution, on the characteristics of subsequent vapor expansion. The results from the modeling will be compared with experimental observations where possible.