ABSTRACT
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Between the creation of a localized vapor plasma, described in Chap. 1, and its culmination in a steady-state laser-sustained plasma, described in Chap. 4, a plasma evolves through several transient phases. These transient plasmas are most easily investigated in pulsed laser experiments in which the laser absorption process can be terminated during any stage of the plasma evolution. The plasmas generated during pulsed laser interactions with materials are also of interest in their own right, as a method of imparting energy, pressure, and impulse to the target. The nature of the plasma and the resulting effect on the surface are functions of the ambient atmosphere, irradiance, wavelength, and duration of irradiation. Nevertheless, the plasmas can be broadly categorized into different types that display dramatically different characteristics; each type is associated with a restricted range of interaction parameters, but together they span the complete interaction space. This chapter describes the types of plasmas observed when a pulsed laser strikes a material.
