Comparison of temperature eld due to laser step input and time

exponentially varying pulses

H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas

KFUPM Box 1913, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history:
Received 13 May 2008
Received in revised form
25 March 2009
Accepted 2 April 2009
Available online 12 May 2009
Keywords:
Laser
Pulse
Temperature
a b s t r a c t
Laser evaporative heating of the solid surface is considered and the effect of temporal variation of laser
pulse shape on temperature rise is examined. In the analysis, time exponentially varying and step input
pulses are employed and closed-form solutions for temperature rise are presented. Comparison of
temporal variation of surface temperature is carried out for various laser pulse parameters of
exponential and step input pulses. The pulse energies are kept the same for all pulses used in the
comparison. It is found that temperature distributions corresponding to pulses used in the simulations
are different and temperature decay in cooling cycle (after ending of the laser pulse) is clearly evident
for step input pulses; however, this is not clearly identied for exponential pulses.
& 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
High-intensity laser pulse heating of solids result in evapora-
tion at the surface. Depending on the laser pulse temperature and
pulse energy, evaporation rate from the surface increases and melt
phase between the solid and the vapor phases becomes negligible
[1]. This is because of the high magnitude of latent heat of
evaporation, which is higher than the latent heat of melting of
most of the metals. Moreover, temporal variation of the laser pulse
intensity on temperature rise in the solid as well as evaporation
rate from the surface is signicant, since the material response to
a heating pulse changes drastically with time [2]. Consequently,
investigation into the effect of laser pulse shape on temperature
prole becomes essential.
Considerable research studies were carried out to examine the
laser pulse heating process. Analytical solution for constant
intensity laser pulse heating was introduced by Ready [3].
Blackwell [4] presented the closed-form solution for temperature
eld after considering the convective boundary at the surface.
Yilbas [5] and Yilbas and Kalyon [6] presented analytical solutions
for temperature rise due to the laser pulses resembling the pulses
used in the practical applications of laser heating. However,
solutions presented were limited to solid heating and surface
evaporation was ignored due to complexity of the problem.
Moreover, Lu [7] examined a square-shaped temperature dis-
tribution due to a laser beamwith Gaussian intensity prole at the
workpiece surface. The phase change processes were omitted in
the study. Modest and Abaikans [8] studied analytically the
temperature rise in the substrate material due to laser conduction
heating and moving semi-innite workpiece. They omitted the
absorption of the laser beam and phase changes in the workpiece
during the heating process. Laser heating and phase change
process was investigated by Shi et al [9]. They indicated that the
laser power intensity had signicant effect on temperature
rise and melting rate at the surface. An analytical model for
inverse pulse laser heating was presented by Morozov et al. [10].
They predicted the molten thickness and compared with the
experimental ndings. Laser vapor plume interaction during laser
heating of surfaces was studied by Gurasov and Smurov [11]. They
indicated that the model proposed under estimated the amount of
energy absorbed and with the ablated surface. Finite-element
analysis of laser evaporative cutting was presented by Kim [12].
He predicted the groove shapes and temperature distributions in
the irradiated region. Yilbas and Kalyon [13] introduced a closed-
form solution for laser evaporative heating process for time
exponentially varying pulse. They introduced an expression
for the evaporation front velocity, which was accommodated in
the analysis [14]. Although, the predictions gave good results
with the experimental ndings, temporal variation of laser
pulse was limited with the exponential form. In the actual laser
heating processes, laser pulses can also be in the form of step
input pulses [15]. This modies the heating situation and the
closed-form solution obtained for the time exponentially varying
laser pulse is not applicable for temperature calculations due to
the step input pulse. Consequently, the comparison of the rise of
temperature eld in the substrate material due to exponential
and step input pulses is fruitful for the practical laser heating
applications.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
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journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/optlastec
Optics & Laser Technology
0030-3992/$ - see front matter & 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.optlastec.2009.04.009

Corresponding author. Tel.: +966 3860 4481; fax: +966 38602949.

E-mail address: bsyilbas@kfupm.edu.sa (B.S. Yilbas).
Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937
In the present study, the closed-form solutions for temperature
rise due to the non-conduction limited heating situation are
presented for laser step input and exponential pulses. Tempera-
ture elds corresponding to different pulse parameters of
exponential and step input pulses are predicted and compared.
The pulse energy is kept the same for all the pulses employed in
temperature comparison.
2. Mathematical analysis
Heat transfer in the radial direction during the laser heating of
solid surfaces is signicantly less than that of in the axial direction
(laser beam direction). This, in turn, reduces the heating situation
into one-dimensional heating of the solid substrate in the
irradiated region [16]. Consequently, laser heating can be assumed
as one-dimensional with reasonable accuracy. The laser energy is
absorbed within the absorption depth of the substrate material.
The absorption depth for metals is in the order of 10
8
m, which is
signicantly smaller than the thickness of the substrate material,
which in the order of 10
3
m. This leads the assumption of
semi-innite solid for the heat transfer media in the heating
analysis. Therefore, the mathematical arrangements of the heating
situation can be simplied and the closed-form solution for
temperature rise during the laser heating pulse can achieved.
Fig. 1 shows schematic view of the laser heating situation. Since
the laser pulse shape depends on the type of laser and its
operation, two types of common pulse shapes are considered in
the analysis, namely time step input pulse and time exponentially
decaying pulse. Moreover, the analysis associated with each pulse
differs; therefore, mathematical analysis will be given under the
appropriate pulse type.
2.1. Time step input pulse
Laser pulse heating consists of two cycles, namely heating and
cooling cycles. The heating cycle starts with the initiation of
the pulse and ends when the pulse intensity reduces to zero as
shown in Fig. 2. The construction of the step intensity pulse can be
achieved through subtraction of two unit step functions as shown
in Fig. 2, i.e., the rst unit step pulse starts at time t 0 while the
second unit step pulse (shifted unit step pulse) starts at time t+Dt.
The difference in both pulses results in the step intensity pulse,
i.e., [15]:
Pt 1t 1t Dt (1)
1t
1;
0;
_
t40
to0
_
and 1t Dt
1;
0;
_
t4Dt
toDt
_
(2)
and P(t) is the step intensity pulse with a unit intensity. Heat
transfer equation governing the laser evaporative heating
situation can be written as
@
2
T
@x
2
rC
p
V
@T
@x
I
0
1 r
f
Pt rC
v
@T
@t
(3)
with the initial condition at time t 0: T(x, 0) 0.
The boundary conditions:
Evaporation of the substrate material is considered at the free
surface:
x 0 :
@T
@x

x0

rVL
k
The distance far away from the surface the substrate material is
assumed to have the initial temperature, i.e., at innity:
x 1 : T1; t 0
The recession velocity of the surface can be written as [14]
V
I
1
rC
p
T
s
L
(4)
where I
1
I
0
(1r
f
)
Since, the heat transfer equation is linear, one can consider
the half-pulse response and then apply the superposition
principle to obtain the complete solution. Therefore, one can
write
@
2
T
@x
2

V
a
@T
@x

I
1
d
k
1t Dte
dx

1
a
@T
@t
(5)
ARTICLE IN PRESS
x - axis
Laser Beam
x =0 : Free Surface
Recessing surface
Evaporating surface
Fig. 1. Schematic view of laser heating and x-axis location.
Nomenclature
C
p
specic heat capacity (J/kgK)
C
1
intensity multiplication factor
I
1
power intensity (I
o
(1r
f
)) (W/m
2
)
Io power intensity (W/m
2
)
k thermal conductivity (W/mK)
P(t) laser pulse
s Laplace variable
r
f
reection coefcient
T(x,t) temperature (K)
T* dimensionless temperature ( T(x,t)kd/I
1
)
T
o
ambient temperature (K) ( T
o
kd/I
1
)
T*
o
dimensionless ambient temperature
t time (s)
Dt pulse length of the laser pulse (s)
t* dimensionless time ( ad
2
t)
Dt* dimensionless pulse length of laser pulse
V recession velocity (m/s)
V* dimensionless recession velocity
x distance (m)
x* dimensionless distance ( xd)
a thermal diffusivity (m
2
/s)
b, b
1
, b
2
laser pulse parameters (1/s)
b, b
1
, b
2
dimensionless Laser pulse parameters
d absorption coefcient (1/m)
r density (kg/m
3
)
H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas / Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937 932
In this case, the initial and boundary conditions are
Tx; 0 0
@T
@x

x0

rVL
k
dt
T1; t 0
Using the dimensionless quantities,
x

dx; t

ad
2
t; T

kd
I
1
T; . . . V

V=ad and b

rV
L
I
1
The governing equations become
@
2
T

@x
2
V
@T

@x

1t

Dt

e
x

@T

@t

(6)
with the initial and boundary conditions,
T

; 0 0
@T

@x

0
b

dt

1; t

0
Taking the Laplace transformation of Eq. (6) with respect to
time, one can get
@
2

@x
2
V

@x

e
Dt

s
s
e
x

x; 0 (7)
where T

* is the Laplace transform of temperature and s is the

Laplace variable. After solving Eq. (7) in the Laplace domain and
transferring to the physical plane results in the temperature
distribution for a step input laser pulse; therefore, the resulting
equation for temperature distribution is [15]
Tx

; t

Z
1
t

Z
2
t

Dt

1t

Dt

Z
3
t

Dt

1t

Dt

(8)
where Z
1
(t*) is
Z
1
t

e
V

=2x

e
V
2
=4t

e
x
2
=4t

p
p
t

p
_

2
e
V
2
=4t

=2x

erfc

p
V

2

x

p
_ __
and Z
2
(t*) is
Z
2
t

e
V

=2x

e
V

=4t

l
1
e
x
2
=4t

p
p
t

p x
1
e
x

x
1
t

x
2
1
_ _
erf
x

p
x
1
_ ___
l
2
e
x
2
=4t

p
p
t

p x
1
e
x

x
1
t

x
2
1
erfc
x

p
x
1
_ _
_ _
l
3
e
x
2
=4t

p
p
t

p x
2
e
x

x
2
t

x
2
2
erfc
x

p
x
2
_ _
_ _
l
4
e
x
2
=4t

p
p
t

p x
2
e
x

x
2
t

x
2
2
erfc
x

p
x
2
_ _
_ _
l
5
e
x
2
=4t

p
p
t

p
V

2
e
x

=2t

V
2
=2
erf
x

p
V

2
_ _
_ _
(9)
where
l
1

1
2x
1
x
2
1
x
2
2
x
1
x
3

l
2

1
2x
1
x
2
1
x
2
2
x
1
x
3

l
3

1
2x
2
x
2
1
x
2
2
x
1
x
3

l
4

1
2x
2
x
2
2
x
2
1
x
2
x
3

l
5

1
x
2
1
x
2
3
x
2
2
x
2
3

and
x
2
1
V
2
=4; : x
2
2

V
2
4
V

1 and x
3
V

=2
and Z
3
(t*)
Z
3
t

1 e
t

1V

1 V

e
x

(10)
Hence, since the functions Z
1
(t*), Z
2
(t*) and Z
3
(t*) are obtained,
the temperature distribution is explicitly known (Eq. (10)). A
Mathematica software is used to compute temperature distribu-
tion (Eq. (9)).
ARTICLE IN PRESS
Time (t*)
I
n
t
e
n
s
i
t
y
(Unit Step Function - Shifted
Unit Step Function)
Unit Step Function
Step Input
Intensity
Shifted Unit Step Function
Fig. 2. Construction of laser step input intensity pulse from unit step function and shifted unit step function.
H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas / Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937 933
2.2. Time exponentially decaying pulse
Temporal variation of the laser pulse can be represented in
terms of two exponential functions [13]. This function can be
written as I
1
e
b
1
t
e
b
2
t
, where I
1
is the peak laser intensity, and
b
1
and b
2
are the laser pulse parameters. Fig. (3) shows the time
exponentially decaying complete laser pulse for b
1
10
11
1/s and
b
2
510
11
1/s. The solution of conduction equation (the Fourier
equation) for evaporative heating situation can be obtained for
only one exponential term exp(b
1
t) of the laser heating pulse;
then, the solution for the second exponential term can be added
to the solution of for the rst exponential term according to
the superposition rule. Consequently, temperature variation for
the complete laser heating pulse can be obtained. In this case, the
Fourier heat transfer equation due to time exponentially decaying
laser pulse for the rst term b (b is used for the general purpose
and it will be replaced with b
1
and b
2
later in the mathematical
analysis) can be written as
k
@
2
T
@x
2
rC
p
V
@T
@x
I
o
1 r
f
expbtd expdx rC
p
@T
@t
(11)
with the boundary conditions
@T
@x

x0

rVL
k
: T1; t 0; and Tx; 0 0
where k is the thermal conductivity, C
p
is the specic heat
capacity, r is the density, V is the recession velocity, b is the pulse
parameter, L is the latent heat of evaporation, I
o
is the peak power
intensity, and r
f
is the surface reectivity. The recession velocity of
the surface can be formulated from energy balance at the free
surface of the irradiated workpiece [14]. In this case the energy
ux at the free surface can be written as [14]
V
I
1
rC
p
T
s
L
(12)
where I
1
I
o
(1r
f
) and T
s
is the surface temperature.
It should be noted that the peak power intensity does not vary
with time. Since the surface temperature is time dependent, the
recession velocity varies with time. This results in non-linear form
of Eq. (11), which cannot be solved analytically by a Laplace
transform method. Moreover, there exists a unique value for the
recession velocity for a known surface temperature. Consequently,
an iterative method can be introduced to solve Eq. (11) analy-
tically. In this case, keeping the recession velocity constant in
Eq. (11) enables to determine the surface temperature analytically,
and after obtaining the surface temperature, the recession velocity
can be recalculated using Eq. (14). This procedure can be repeated
unless the surface temperature and recession velocity converge
correct results.
Eq. (11) can be written as
@
2
T
@x
2

V
a
@T
@x

I
1
k
expbtd expdx
1
a
@T
@t
(13)
The Laplace transform of Eq. (13) with respect to t, after
substituting of initial condition T(x, 0) 0, can be written as
@
2

T
@x
2

V
a
@

T
@x
I
1
d
k
1
p b
expdx
1
a
p

T (14)
where a is the thermal diffusivity, which is
a
k
pC
p
Introducing the dimensionless variables:
V

1
ad
V : b

1
ad
2
b : t

ad
2
t : and x

x d
And after the lengthy algebra, temperature distribution yields
[13]:
Tx; t
I
1
kd
e
V
2
=2x

=2t

e
V
2
=4V

1t

1 b

V
2
=4b

p
x

_
_

erfc

V
2
=4 b

_
x

=2

V
2
b

_
V

V
2
=4b

p
x

erfc

V
2
=4 b

_
x

=2

p

V

V
2
b

_

_

e
V
2
=4V

1t

1
e

V
2
=4V

1
p _

erfc

V
2
=4 V

1t

=2

p

_

V
2
4V

1 V

_

e

V
2
=4V

1
p
erfc

V
2
=4 V

1t

=2

p

_

V
2

V
2
4V

1
_

_

1
2b

0 1
e
V
2
=4t

e
V
2
=2x

erfc
V

2
t

p
_ __

I
1
kd
1
V

1 b

e
x

e
b

e
V

1t

arL
2k
e
V

erfc
x

p
_ _
1 V

V
2
t

erfc
x

p
_ _ _ _ _

2V

p
p e
V
2
=4V

=2V

=4
_
(15)
Temperature distribution can be non-dimensionalized using the
relation
T

T
I
1
=kd
Temperature distribution for the complete laser heating pulse,
including both exponential terms, is possible subtracting T*
obtained for b*
2
from T* obtained from b*
1
. Therefore, solving
Eq. (15) for b*
2
and b*
1
and, then, mathematical subtraction of the
resulting temperatures provides the solution for temperature
distribution for the complete laser pulse. The Mathematica
software is used to compute dimensionless temperature distribu-
tion (Eq. (15)) for the complete pulse.
ARTICLE IN PRESS
0
0.15
0.3
0.45
0.6
0
TIME
I
N
T
E
N
S
I
T
Y
2 4 6 8
Fig. 3. Time exponentially decaying pulse for complete pulse
(I
1
t

e
b

1
t

e
b

2
t

).
H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas / Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937 934
3. Results and discussions
Laser evaporative heating of surface is considered and effect of
laser pulse shape on the temperature rise is examined. Analytical
solutions are presented for laser non-conduction heating process.
Two different laser pulse shapes, namely exponential and step
input pulses, are accommodated in the analysis for the closed-
form solutions. Temporal variation of temperature distribution
is presented for different pulses with the same energy content.
Table 1 gives the material properties used in the simulations.
Fig. 4 shows proles of exponential and step input laser pulses,
provided that exponential pulse has three shapes having the same
energy content, while Fig. 5 shows corresponding temperature
proles obtained from the closed-form solutions (Eqs. (9)
and (15)). Once the evaporation temperature is reached, due to
evaporative boundary at the surface, temperature reduces rapidly
and, then, rises above the evaporation temperature of the
substrate material as the heating progresses. Moreover, surface
temperature after reaching its maximum decays gradually for the
exponential pulses while sharp decay is observed for the step
input pulses. The rise of temperature in the solid phase, before the
evaporation, is rapid in the early heating period. This is more
pronounced for the exponential pulses with short pulse length
and high peak intensity than that of other pulse with slow
rising pulse intensity. Consequently, laser short pulse with high
intensity results in rapid rise of temperature in the early heating
period. This can be attributed to the internal gain of the substrate
material in the surface region. Small decay of temperature after
reaching the evaporation temperature is because of the energy
taken during the evaporation process, which is considerably
high. However, temperature rise after the evaporation is rapid
for exponential pulse with the short pulse length. Moreover,
temperature rise is relatively slower for the step input pulse as
compared to that corresponding to exponential pulses. The
initiation of cooling cycle is more pronounced for step input
pulses than exponential pulses; in which case, temperature
decay is rapid onset of the pulse ending. Temperature gradient
developed in the surface region of the substrate material becomes
high towards the pulse ending. Once the pulse energy ceases,
diffusional energy transport from the surface region to the solid
bulk becomes the only energy transfer mechanism in the surface
region. This, in turn, rapidly lowers temperature in this region.
Although the intensity is low at the tail of the pulse, it provides
internal energy gain of the substrate material from the irradiated
eld. Consequently, diffusional energy transport from surface
region to solid bulk results in gradual decay of temperature in the
surface region due to internal energy gain of the substrate
material from the irradiated eld.
Fig. 6 shows temporal variation of exponential and step input
pulses, provided that step input pulse shape is varied while
keeping the energy content of the pulse constant. Fig. 7 shows
corresponding temperature rise at the surface. Temperature rise is
rapid for step input pulse having the highest peak intensity and
shortest pulse length. However, exponential pulse results in slow
rise of temperature in the early heating period. The fast rise of
temperature in the early heating period for step input pulse is
because of internal energy gain of the substrate material in the
surface region from the irradiated eld. Consequently, high rate of
energy absorption results in rapid rise of temperature in the early
heating period. Moreover, the rise of temperature after reaching
ARTICLE IN PRESS
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 2 4 6
TIME
I
N
T
E
N
S
I
T
Y
Step Pulse t =1
Step Pulse t =3
Step Pulse t =5
Exp. Pulse
1
=1/2,
2
=1
Fig. 4. Temporal variation of laser pulse shapes used in the simulations. The pulse
energy in each pulse is kept constant while pulse length of step input pulses is
varied.
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
TIME
T
E
M
P
E
R
A
T
U
R
E
Step Pulse t =1
Step Pulse t =3
Step Pulse t =5
Exp. Pulse
1
=1/2,
2
=1
Fig. 5. Temporal variation of surface temperature for laser pulses showing in Fig. 1.
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 2 4 6
TIME
I
N
T
E
N
S
I
T
Y
Exp. Pulse
1
=1/2,
2
=1
Exp. Pulse
1
=2/3,
2
=2
Exp. Pulse
1
=5/6,
2
=5
Step Pulse t =3
Fig. 6. Temporal variation of laser pulse shapes used in the simulations. The pulse
energy in each pulse is kept constant while pulse length of time exponentially
decaying pulse is varied.
Table 1
Material properties used in the simulations.
r (kg/m
3
) C
p
(J/kg K) k (W/mK) d (m
1
) a (m
2
/s)
7880 460 80.3 6.1710
7
2.2210
4
H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas / Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937 935
the evaporation temperature is highest for step input pulse with
shortest pulse length. However, the rise of temperature for
exponential pulse after reaching the evaporation temperature is
higher than that of other step input pulses. The decay rate of
temperature after reaching maximum is faster for step input pulse
with the highest intensity. This is because of the attainment of
high-temperature gradient in the surface region during the
heating period. Once the pulse ends, high-temperature gradient
causes energy diffusion from the surface region to the solid
bulk at a higher rate than that of the other pulses. Exponential
decay of the pulse intensity towards the pulse ending results in
gradual decay of temperature. However, temporal variation of
temperature at the surfaces does not follow exactly the temporal
variation of laser pulse intensity. This is because of the diffusional
energy transfer from the surface region to the solid bulk, which
suppresses the internal energy gain from the irradiated eld in the
surface region. This situation is more pronounced for step input
pulses.
Fig. 8 shows dimensionless temperature distribution inside the
substrate material for three exponential pulse parameters and one
step input pulse with dimensionless pulse length of 3 for the
dimensionless heating period of 1.5. Increasing b
1
and b
2
results
in attainment of high temperature in the surface region due to the
high peak power intensity (Fig. 6). Moreover, temperature attains
high values for the step input pulse as compared to that
corresponding exponential pulse of b
1
2/3 and b
2
2. It
should be noted that the peak intensity corresponding to
exponential pulse of b
1
2/3 and b
2
2 is similar to that the
step input pulse peak intensity for pulse length of 3 (Fig. 6).
Consequently, the pulse intensity distribution with time has
signicant effect on temperature distribution inside the substrate
material. Temperature decays sharply in the surface vicinity of the
substrate material, particularly for the step input pulse. The sharp
decay results in high-temperature gradient in this region
enhancing the conduction energy transfer from the irradiated
surface to the solid bulk. However, energy absorbed from the
irradiated eld increases signicantly internal energy gain of the
substrate material in the surface region; in which case, internal
energy gain dominates over the conduction losses from the
surface region while resulting high temperature at the surface. In
the case of exponential pulse, temperature decay is gradual in the
surface region and as the distance increases away from the
irradiated surface towards the solid bulk it decays sharply.
4. Conclusion
Laser evaporative heating of substrate surface is considered
and temperature rise due to time exponentially varying and step
input pulses is compared. The closed-form solutions obtained
for temperature rise due to both pulses are presented in the
non-dimensional form. Moreover, pulse intensities used for
temperature comparison have the same energy content. It is
found that the rise of temperature in the solid surface is rapid for
step input pulses due to high amount of energy gain of the
substrate material from the irradiated eld in the surface region.
However, temperature rise beyond the evaporation temperature
of the substrate material is faster for exponential laser pulses than
that of step input pulses. In the cooling cycle of the step input
pulse, temperature decays rapidly immediately after the laser
pulse ends. This is because of the energy conducted from the
surface region to the solid bulk, i.e., high-temperature gradient in
the surface region enhances the energy diffusion from the surface
region to the solid bulk. In the case of exponential pulse,
exponential decay of laser pulse intensity provides heating of
the substrate material through the absorption; consequently, no
denite cooling cycle can be identied. Therefore, energy transfer
from the surface region to the solid bulk does not suppress
temperature rise and temperature decay with time becomes
gradual. Temporal distribution of laser pulse intensity at the
surface has signicant effect on temperature decay in the
ARTICLE IN PRESS
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TIME
T
E
M
P
E
R
A
T
U
R
E
Exp. Pulse
1
=1/2,
2
=1
Exp. Pulse
1
=2/3,
2
=2
Exp. Pulse
1
=5/6,
2
=5
Step Pulse t =3
Fig. 7. Temporal variation of surface temperature for laser pulses showing in Fig. 4.
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
SPACE
T
E
M
P
E
R
A
T
U
R
E
Exp. Pulse
1
=1/2,
2
=1
Exp. Pulse
1
=2/3,
2
=2
Exp. Pulse
1
=5/6,
2
=5
Step Pulse t =3
Fig. 8. Temperature distribution inside the substrate material for three exponen-
tial pulses and a step input pulse for dimensionless heating period of 1.5.
H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas / Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937 936
substrate material. In this case, temperature decay is sharp for the
step input pulse while it is gradual for the exponential pulse in the
surface region, despite the fact that the peak intensity corre-
sponding to exponential pulse of b
1
2/3 and b
2
2 is similar to
that the step input pulse peak intensity for pulse length of 3.
Acknowledgment
The authors acknowledge the support of King Fahd University
of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia for this work.
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H. Al-Qahtani, B.S. Yilbas / Optics & Laser Technology 41 (2009) 931937 937