Study was made of the absorption of near infrared radiation by nonequilibrium carriers in silicon which has been bulk- or surface-excited with high-power laser pulses. The investigation was carried out in a wide range of temperatures. Measurements were made of the density of carriers and their lifetimes (the latter as a function of the carrier density from 10**1**6 to8 multiplied by (times) 10**1**9 cm** minus **3). The temperature dependence of the photon absorption cross section of nonequilibrium carriers was determined.