title: Explosive vaporization of metallic sodium microparticles by CW resonant laser radiation.
abstract: Explosive vaporization of metallic Na microparticles stimulated by resonant cw laser radiation has been observed in a glass cell. Vaporization occurs at low laser-power density. The effect consists in the generation of optically thick and sharply localized Na vapor clouds propagating in the cell against the laser beam. The effect is explained by laser excitation of Na atoms, which collide onto the surface of the microparticles and transfer their internal energy. This causes other atoms to be vaporized and to continue the avalanche process.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Fisica dell'Università, INFN, Sezione di Ferrara, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Atutov
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Biancalana
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mariotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzocca
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moi
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Pod'yachev
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tomassetti