CO[sub 2] laser-plume interaction in materials processing.

In laser materials processing, localized evaporation caused by focused laser radiation forms a plume of mixed vapor and ambient gas above the material surface. The beam is refracted and absorbed as it traverses the plume, thus modifying its power density on the surface. In this work, plume-beam interaction is studied using an axisymmetric, high-temperature gas-dynamic model of a plume formed by vapor from an iron surface. The beam propagation in the plume is calculated from the paraxial wave equation including absorption and refraction. The simulation results quantify the effects of plasma plume properties on the beam radius and laser power density variations at the material surface. It is shown that absorption and refraction in the plume have significant impacts on the laser-material interaction. Absorption of the beam in the plume has much less direct effect on the power density at the material surface than refraction does. However, absorption is essential for the formation of the plume, without which there is no refraction. Helium gas is more efficient than argon for reducing the beam refraction and absorption effects. Laser energy reflected from the material surface has significant effects on the plume properties. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]