Features of crater formation on a target under the action of powerful laser pulse

The results of experimental and theoretical investigations of craters originating in solid targets of different materials when powerful Nd:glass laser pulse irradiates the surface at flux densities in the range of 1010 - 1014 W/cm2 are presented. The experimentally observed dependencies of crater depth and ablated mass on laser pulse energy and target material properties are analyzed employing the theory of shock wave initiation and propagation under the action of the plasma-producing laser beam. From the comparison of the theoretically deduced and experimentally observed dependencies, a simple formula is derived allowing to determine the pressures in the shock wave and in the plasma corona using the measurements for the crater depth and ablated mass.