This article describes laser Thomson scattering as applied to investigate laser-induced plasmas originating from gas breakdown or ablation of solid samples. Thomson scattering provides a reliable and direct mean of determining plasma electron density and electron temperature with high spatial and temporal resolution. Moreover, unlike e.g. optical emission spectroscopy, no assumptions about axial symmetry, thermodynamic conditions in the plasma or its chemical composition are needed to quantify these fundamental plasma parameters. Because Thomson scattering is inherently accompanied by Rayleigh light scattering, information about concentration of heavy particles and their temperature can be simultaneously derived from the experimental data. The heavy particle temperature and the electron one are the primary indicators of the plasma thermodynamic equilibrium.

The goals of this article are to describe the theory of Thomson scattering relevant for the studies of low-temperature laser-induced plasmas, discuss the instrumental details of Thomson scattering experiments, and review the results of studies in which this technique has been used to characterize laser-induced plasmas.