Laser-induced plasma expansion: theoretical and experimental aspects

• DOI: 10.1016/j.sab.2003.12.017
• Publication Date: 2004-04-03T10:19:42Z
• Authors: M. Capitelli; A. Casavola; G. Colonna; A. De Giacomo
• Keywords: Time of flight; LIBS; fluid-dynamics; laser-induced plasma; time of flight; Laser-induced plasma; Fluid-dynamic; 01 natural sciences; 0104 chemical sciences

Theoretical and experimental efforts to describe the expansion of laser-induced plasma plume are reviewed. Particular attention has been devoted to a comparison between experimental and theoretical time of flight (TOF) profiles. The theoretical results obtained by inserting plasma kinetics in one-dimensional fluid-dynamic code show that chemical processes strongly influence the fluid dynamic expansion. Moreover fluid-dynamics codes based on both Navier-Stokes and DSMC models, which in addition include the possibility of different temperatures for electrons and heavy particles, are discussed.