Phenomena resulting from laser-solid material interactions and their application

The results of works performed on phenomena resulting from laser-solid matter interaction, for laser energy flux between 105 and 1012 w/cm2 and more particularly between 106 and 109 w/cm2 were gathered and some examples of applications either completed or at the project stage are presented. Thus a survey of the present state of knowledge on the emission of particles or radiations resulting from the interaction between a laser beam and the solid material on which it is focussed, is made. The emission from the solid includes several types of particles: neutral atoms (vapor), electrons, positive and negative ions, photons (X, U.V. and visible light), phonons. A few applications (such as thin film deposition, pulsed neutron sources, multicharged ion sources) are still at the laboratory stage, whereas the following are sufficiently developped to have industrial applications: laser source mass spectrometry, emission spectroscopy, etc. Only laser-solid matter interactions involving the fusion of the material and its applications relative to welding and machining, were left out of this survey (71 references)