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arXiv · 1008.2616

Optical supercavitation in soft-matter

Claudio Conti·Eugenio DelRe
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Abstract

We investigate theoretically, numerically and experimentally nonlinear optical waves in an absorbing out-of-equilibrium colloidal material at the gelification transition. At sufficiently high optical intensity, absorption is frustrated and light propagates into the medium. The process is mediated by the formation of a matter-shock wave due to optically induced thermodiffusion, and largely resembles the mechanism of hydrodynamical supercavitation, as it is accompanied by a dynamic phase-transition region between the beam and the absorbing material.

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physics.opticscond-mat.softphysics.flu-dyn

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Claudio Conti, Eugenio DelRe. 2010-09-08. Optical supercavitation in soft-matter. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.105.118301

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