OPTICAL REFLECTANCE AND SCATTERING STUDIES OF NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF BUBBLES AT A LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE INDUCED BY PULSED LASER-HEATING

Optical reflectance and light scattering measurements are used to study bubble nucleation of various liquids and subsequent explosive vaporization at the surface of a thin chromium film heated by a 248-nm KrF excimer laser. Liquids studied include water, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, and different mixtures of water and isopropanol. The reflectance and scattering signals show distinct transients when the excimer laser fluence exceeds a certain liquid-dependent threshold. The reflectance signals are analyzed to provide bubble growth kinetics and explosive vaporization thresholds of the liquids.