Thermal response of a laser-irradiated metal slab

Abstract

The analytical solution of temperature profiles in complex laser-heated structures is only possible for a few simple cases. This is partly due to the nature of heat-source terms that preclude the use of conventional series-type solutions. In this study we utilize a Laplace-transform method in conjunction with Fourier integrals to obtain solutions for the temperature profiles in a laser-irradiated rare-earth-transition-metal slab. The results provide a convenient qualitative tool to study the thermal response of laser-irradiated solids.