Initial stage of extended laser breakdown in liquids

The kinetics of a laser breakdown in liquids taking into account stimulated scattering has been studied theoretically and experimentally. It has been shown that optical breakdown directions coincide with those of stimulated Brillouin scattering and stimulated Raman scattering. It is concluded that the description of the kinetics of extended optical breakdown should be based on the assumption that extended laser breakdown in pure media is a 'catastrophe' in the process of development of absolute and convective instability, which initially corresponds to the processes of cascade stimulated scattering generation.<>