DYNAMICS OF A PLASMA FORMED BY A SURFACE OPTICAL DISCHARGE IN A METAL VAPOR INTERACTING WITH A CW CO2-LASER BEAM

A surface optical-discharge plasma was formed in a metal vapour under normal conditions by steady-state irradiation with a cw CO2 laser delivering radiation of moderate (2-4.5 MW cm(-2)) intensity. This plasma strongly screened the irradiated surface. Under the selected experimental conditions the optical discharge was not a continuous (steady-state) process. The plasma cloud was displaced along the beam out of the waist to a region where the laser radiation intensity was almost an order of magnitude less than the threshold for excitation of the optical discharge plasma in the vapour. A strong screening of the metal surface, which could even completely stop evaporation of the metal, was observed. Spontaneous fluctuations of the optical-discharge plasma were observed for the first time in a vapour interacting with cw CO2 radiation: this was attributed to screening of the target surface. Within one period of the spontaneous fluctuations there were additional hf plasma self-fluctuations which led to stratification of the plasma cloud. The results obtained were interpreted.