Hydrodynamic Aspects of the Channel Formation by a CO[sub 2] Laser Beam Penetrating Deep into a Liquid.

It is shown that, taking into account the hydrodynamic phenomena accompanying the development and maintenance of a deep laser-induced vapor-gas channel in a liquid, it is possible to estimate the order of magnitude of the channel depth and growth rate, as well as the characteristic frequencies of the channel wall instabilities and acoustic perturbations. The estimates agree with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]