Microscale Aspects of Thermal Radiation Transport and Laser Applications

Abstract. This chapter briefly discusses current and future applications in which the range of parameters makes the classical models and associated phenomenological descriptions of transport processes no longer adequate. Some fundamental concepts of relevance to the development of models using a fundamental microscale approach are reviewed, as are microscale models for selected cases. Regime maps are developed to guide the model selection processes and to identify the phenomena that may or may not be important for a given set of conditions. It is seen that the microscale models match experimental data with less error than the classical macroscopic models for many applications in which extremes of size, time, and radiation intensity are present. Application areas discussed in detail are modeling of interference effects in evaluating the scattering and absorption characteristics, radiation transport in microstructures, short-pulse radiation transport through scattering and absorbing media, interaction of high-intensity lasers with metallic films and liquids, and ablation of polymers and tissues.