Laser plasma at low air pressure

The dynamic and optical characteristics of the laser plasma produced during the application of a CO₂ laser pulse to a target have been studied as a function of the ambient air pressure. The changes in the surface roughness of the sample after bombardment were studied as a function of the air pressure. It is concluded from the results that a transition from an air plasma to an erosion plasma occurs at a residual air pressure on the order of 1 torr. The experiment data support the existing picture of the process by which a plasma is produced near the surface of a target in air by laser pulses.