Abstract
The breakdown and the growth of plasma of cesium and sodium vapors by an intense laser beam are investigated. The minimum intensity which is observable by a double probe is found to be inversely proportional to the root of the neutral atom density for either vapor. This result confirms that the two-photon ionization is a dominant process in the stage of breakdown. Further increase of the intensity of laser beam leads to a steep rise of the plasma density proportional to the square of the intensity followed by a slow rise and then the second steep rise. The first steep rise is explained by the two-photon ionization process too. The electron temperatures are estimated to be about 10 4 °K under the condition of the present work, by the probe and optical methods.
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