Modeling of gas dynamics for a laser-generated plasma: propagation into low-pressure gases.

The physical phenomena involved during three-dimensional axisymmetric laser-induced plasma expansion into background gas are numerically studied. For this purpose, a multispecies hydrodynamic model is developed which considers the effects of mass and ambipolar diffusions, thermal conduction, viscosity, and nonequilibrium conditions for ionization. This model is applied to describe quantitatively the Si plasma plume expansion into Ar or He gases.