Theory of breakdown of molecular gases by laser radiation near a metal surface

The threshold laser radiation power at which low-threshold breakdown occurs in a molecular gas atmosphere near a metal surface is determined. It is suggested that this may be considered to be a fairly well defined transition from a state where electrons in the surrounding gas are formed as a result of diffusion from the heated surface to a state where the main source of electrons is volume ionization of the target vapor. A comparison is made with the experiment.