Because the sequence of events that leads to laser ablation, which may be defined as the collective ejection of matter (ions, atoms, clusters, nanoparticles, etc.) following irradiation by ultrashort, intense bursts of light, is formidably complex, the usual analytical tools of theoretical physics are unable to account for the whole spectrum of relevant processes taking place in the target, and thus cannot provide a thorough understanding of the physical mechanisms that underlie the phenomenon, as well as the physical nature of the structural ...