Numerical simulation of nanosecond laser ablation and plasma characteristics considering a real gas equation of state

Based on the governing equations which include the heat conduction equation in the target and the fluid equations of the vapor plasma, a two-dimensional axisymmetric model for ns-laser ablation considering the Knudsen layer and plasma shielding effect is developed. The equations of state of the plasma are described by a real gas approximation, which divides the internal energy into the thermal energy of atoms, ions and electrons, ionization energy and the excitation energy of atoms and ions. The dynamic evolution of the silicon target and plasma during laser ablation is studied by using this model, and the distributions of the temperature, plasma density, Mach number related to the evaporation/condensation of the target surface, laser transmissivity as well as internal energy of the plasma are given. It is found that the evolution of the target surface during laser ablation can be divided into three stages: (1) the target surface temperature increases continuously; (2) the sonic and subsonic evaporation; and (3) the subsonic condensation. The result of the internal energy distribution indicates that the ionization and excitation energy plays an important role in the internal energy of the plasma during laser ablation. This model is suitable for the case that the temperature of the target surface is lower than the critical temperature.