Identification of discontinuities in plasma plume evolution

The ejection of material during laser ablation gives rise to the development of discontinuities in the ambient gas. Several of these discontinuities are observed and characterized, including externally and internally propagating shock waves, contact surface, and the ionization front. Qualitative experimental observations and analysis of these discontinuities are presented. Results from shadowgraphy enabled determination of an irradiance threshold between two different ablation mechanisms, and determination of several stages of plasma plume evolution. Consideration of the refractive index as a dynamic sum of the contributions from gas and electrons led to separate identification of ionization front from the contact surface. Furthermore, ionization front was observed to lead the shock wave at the earlier stage of the ablation.