Laser-wavelength dependence of mass-ablation rate and heat-flux inhibition in laser-produced plasmas

Thin-foil experiments at 1.06, 0.53, and 0.26 {μ}m have been realized in order to measure mass-ablation rate ̇ \.m as a function of absorbed laser flux φₐ and laser wavelength λ. The results can be put in the form ${ ̇ \.{}{}}{m}(kg/s{cm}²){≈}110{[{{φ}}ₐ{(W/{cm}²)}{{10}¹⁴}]}1/3{{λ}}_{{μ}m}^{{-}4/3}$. Hydrodynamical simulations of these experiments show that heat-flux inhibition occurs at each wavelength, but the mechanisms are very different.