Pulsed laser ablation of solids and critical phenomena

We consider the possible manifestations of critical phenomena under pulsed laser ablation (PLA). The mechanism of phase explosion under nanosecond laser ablation is considered and the possibility of estimating the critical temperature from PLA experiments is discussed. A model based on the Euler equations and generalized van der Waals equation is developed to describe rarefaction shock waves (RSW) in near-critical matter. For a near-surface slab of a gold target heated above the critical point and expanding freely in vacuum, the evolution of the RSW has been studied. The possibility of RSW formation in stellar matter is discussed.