Laser-induced forward transfer was used to deposit aluminum and nickel microdroplets onto a substrate using a Q-switched neodymium:Yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. The droplets have diameters of a few microns, much smaller than the laser spot diameter, and are transferred at fluences slightly above the melting threshold. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the original donor film is deformed after laser irradiation, such that the film protrudes outward from the center of the laser spot. The film expands during laser heating, but is constrained until the melt interface reaches the free surface. When this occurs, the film is no longer constrained, allowing the melt to rapidly expand, forming the protrusions from which droplets are ejected.

The transition from normal vaporization to phase explosion during laser ablation of aluminum was investigated using a nanosecond Nd:YAG laser. The threshold nature of phase explosion was observed by a discontinuous jump in the ablation depth at approximately 5.2J∕cm2. Ablation was imaged using a shadowgraph technique that was capable of probing ablation with nanosecond exposure time and nanosecond time delay resolution with respect to laser heating. Images above the threshold captured a mixture of vapor and droplets generated by phase explosion, which began near the end of the laser pulse without a significant time lag.

Visualization of Nd : YAG laser ablation of aluminium targets was performed by a shadowgraph apparatus capable of imaging the dynamics of ablation with nanosecond time resolution. Direct observations of vaporization, explosive phase change and shock waves were obtained. The influence of vaporization and phase explosion on shock wave velocity was directly measured. A significant increase in the shock wave velocity was observed at the onset of phase explosion. However, the shock wave behaviour followed the form of a Taylor–Sedov spherical shock below and above the explosive phase change threshold. The jump in the shock wave velocity above phase explosion threshold is attributed to the release of stored enthalpy in the superheated liquid surface. The energy released during phase explosion was estimated by fitting the transient shock wave position to the Taylor scaling rules. Results of temperature calculations indicate that the vapour temperature at the phase explosion threshold is slightly higher than the critical temperature at the early stages of the shock wave formation. The shock wave pressure nearly doubled when transitioning from normal vaporization to phase explosion.

We consider fluid flow in thin films of molten metal resulting from irradiation by a Gaussian laser beam. Surface tension gradients due to nonuniform heating induce a flow of the molten liquid away from the center of the irradiated area, leading to formation of dry areas on the substrate. We develop a mathematical model of the flow under the assumption of the large ratio of laser beam radius to film thickness. The model extends the standard lubrication-type analysis to include the highly nonlinear dependence of evaporative flux on local interfacial temperature, unsteady heat conduction in the substrate, and positive disjoining pressure due to unbalanced contributions from the kinetic energy of free electrons in the metal. The latter is proportional to the inverse square of the film thickness. We identify thermocapillary stresses as the main mechanism of rapid removal of liquid metal from the irradiated area. Characteristic times of the process, as well as shapes of the molten region surface, agree with experimental observations. We investigate rupture of the molten film and find two different rupture scenarios. The melt surface can either touch the substrate at a point (point rupture) or along a line at a certain radial distance away from the center of the irradiated area (ring rupture). Nondimensional criteria for these two mechanisms are identified. In particular, we show that positive disjoining pressure promotes ring rupture.

This work investigates transport phenomena and mechanisms of droplet formation during a pulsed laser interaction with thin films. The surface of the target material is altered through material flow in the molten phase induced by a tightly focused laser energy flux. Such a process is useful for developing a laser-based micromachining technique. Experimental and numerical investigations of the laser-induced fluid flow and topography variations are carried out for a better understanding of the physical phenomena involved in the process. As with many machining techniques, debris is often generated during laser-material interaction. Experimental parametric studies are carried out to correlate the laser parameters with the topography and droplet formations. It is found that a narrow range of operation parameters and target conditions exists for “clean” structures to be fabricated. The stop action photography technique is employed to capture the surface topography variation and the melting development with a nanosecond time resolution and a micrometer spatial resolution. Numerical simulations of the laser-induced surface deformation are also performed to obtain the transient field variables and to track the deforming surface. The comparison between the numerical and experimental work shows that, within the energy intensity range investigated in this work, the surface deformation and droplet formation are attributed to the surface-tension-driven flow, and the recoil pressure effect plays an insignificant role in the surface topography development. [S0022-1481(00)02903-0]

Materials processing using high power pulsed lasers involves complex phenomena including rapid heating, superheating of the laser-melted material, rapid nucleation, and phase explosion. With a heating rate on the order of 109K/s or higher, the surface layer melted by laser irradiation can reach a temperature higher than the normal boiling point. On the other hand, the vapor pressure does not build up as fast and thus falls below the saturation pressure at the surface temperature, resulting in a superheated, metastable state. As the temperature of the melt approaches the thermodynamic critical point, the liquid undergoes a phase explosion that turns the melt into a mixture of liquid and vapor. This article describes heat transfer and phase change phenomena during nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of a metal, with an emphasis on phase explosion and non-equilibrium phase change. The time required for nucleation in a superheated liquid, which determines the time needed for phase explosion to occur, is also investigated from both theoretical and experimental viewpoints.

This work investigates heat transfer and phase change during picosecond laser ablation of nickel. In this study, ablation of nickel is studied using a mode-locked 25 ps (FWHM) Nd:YAG laser. The threshold fluence for mass removal (ablation) is experimentally determined. Numerical calculations of the transient temperature distribution and kinetics of the solid-liquid and liquid-vapor phase change interfaces are performed. The results show that evaporation is negligible at the free surface, resulting in superheating of liquid to near 0.9T cr , at which temperature homogeneous nucleation will result in an explosive phase transformation, removing part of the molten layer. Ó

IntroductionMisconceptions and uncertainties about radiotherapy compound the anxiety patients experience at the commencement of treatment. This project investigated the utility of locally produced treatment process videos in meeting patients’ informational needs.MethodsIn‐house video production was conducted on a voluntary basis by staff and patients at a regional Australian radiotherapy centre. Videos included real footage and animated sections created with PEARLTM 3D visualisation software (Vertual Ltd, UK) to meet specific key content objectives. Quantitative cross sectional analysis was conducted. Patients attending for simulation watched a relevant video. After their first fraction of radiotherapy they were asked to complete an ethics‐reviewed questionnaire about how well the video addressed their information needs.ResultsThe survey completion rate was 29% (n = 61/212). Surveys were collected over 9 months from August 2014 to April 2015. Statistical analysis found 98% of patients reported that the video was useful in meeting one or more of the learning objectives. Forty‐nine percent of patients also reported a reduction in fear and anxiety as a result of watching the video. Patients reported subsequent review of videos at home (39%), primarily to explain treatment processes to loved ones (46%).ConclusionThe combination of real footage and 3D visualisation software assisted in meeting learning objectives regarding the treatment process. Standardised videos provided consistency of information provision to patients and facilitated multiple viewings of the video if desired.