Phase explosion of a water drop by a femtosecond laser pulse: I. Dynamics of optical breakdown

Abstract

A physical model of the phase explosion of an optically transparent water drop irradiated by highintensity femtosecond laser radiation is presented. The thermophysical stage of drop explosion related to the optical breakdown of a liquid in internal areas of a micron-sized particle is studied theoretically. Results of numerical calculations of the plasma formation dynamics in a drop at a different intensity of laser radiation are presented, and the positions and effective size of breakdown areas inside a particle are estimated.