Effect of vapor attenuation in surface ablation of cobalt by pulsed UV laser.

Abstract. Numerical calculations based on a thermal model were presented, which describe the process of target heating and ablation of cobalt during irradiation by 30-ns laser pulses at 308 nm. The attenuation of laser by vapor has been taken into account in this model. As results of the calculations, the temperature distribution beneath the target surface and the temporal evolution of surface temperature were given. The dependence of ablation rate on laser fluence was also studied based on this model. The surface ablation of cobalt with pulsed excimer laser was investigated experimentally. Our model considering proper vapor attenuation has shown to be in good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]