Computer simulations of laser-induced ejection of droplets

We have recently developed a numerical method to compute the thermal and hydrodynamic behavior of metals under laser irradiation [Seifert et al., Appl. Surf. Sci. 103 (1996) 63]. The model has been significantly improved since then and is now capable of computing not only the early stages of formation, but also the desorption of droplets. Our results show that the formation and desorption of small metallic droplets is indeed a hydrodynamic effect that mainly depends on the balance between inertial and the surface tension restraining forces.