ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the key quantities of absorptivity/reflectivity to the optical properties of metals, the general condition of their surfaces and the temperature that is the laser heating rates. The anomalous skin effects originate changes in the penetration depth, sample reflectivity and absorptivity that depart from the values predicted according to the Drude theory. The chapter provides a few numerical estimations of the electrical and optical properties of some metals for one particular case: at room temperature and for CO2 laser radiation. A great variety of impurities and microimpurities are scattered on and in the surface of any real metallic sample, and each can contribute to a supplementary absorption of radiation. Among the most common surface microimpurities are dust particles of different shapes and sizes. Such particles on the metal surface function as centres of the sharply enhanced local absorptivity.
