Laser ablation in an ambient environment is becoming increasingly
important in science and technology. It is used in applications ranging
from chemical analysis via mass spectroscopy, to pulsed laser deposition
and nanoparticle manufacturing. We describe numerical schemes for a
multiphase hydrodynamic model of nanosecond laser ablation expressing
energy, momentum, and mass conservation in the target material, as well
as in the expanding plasma plume, along with collisional and radiative
processes for laser-induced breakdown (plasma formation). Numerical
simulations for copper in a helium background gas are presented and the
efficiency of various ODE integrators is compared.
