Nanosecond laser-induced shock propagation in and above organic liquid and solid targets

The study of shock propagation in air and liquid can play an important role in understanding light-matter interactions during laser processing experiments. In this work, we perform plume shadowgraphy experiments on liquid and solid targets of acetone and toluene and calculate the velocity and pressure at the leading edge of the shock front. Our results are compared to recent work in which early blast wave dynamics are studied and the applicability of the classical Taylor–Sedov model is assessed for our data. We observe an enhanced vertical expansion in the shockwave that is attributable to absorption and heating above the surface.