# Liquid tin droplet fragmentation by ultra-short laser pulse

## TL;DR

This study uses hydrodynamic simulations to explore how femtosecond laser pulses cause liquid tin droplet fragmentation, revealing unique mechanisms involving pressure wave focusing and cavity formation.

## Contribution

It provides new insights into the fragmentation process under ultrashort laser pulses, differing from nanosecond pulse effects, through detailed simulation analysis.

## Key findings

- Pressure pulse propagates and focuses at droplet center
- A large cavity forms at the droplet's core
- Backside pressure wave may induce spallation

## Abstract

The fragmentation of a liquid metal droplet induced by a nanosecond laser pulse has been studied well. However, the fragmentation mechanism may be different, when a subpicosecond laser pulse is applied. To discover the details of the fragmentation process, we perform a hydrodynamic simulation of a liquid tin droplet irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse. We have found that the pressure pulse induced by an instantaneous temperature growth in the skin layer propagates from the one side of the surface of a spherical droplet and focuses in its center; at the release a big cavity is formed at the center of a droplet; the pressure wave release at the backside surface may cause the spallation.