Numerical simulations of laser energy deposition in quiescent air and in isotropic turbulence are conducted. The flow field is classified into three phases: shock formation, shock propagation and subsequent collapse of the plasma core. Each phase is studied in detail. Vorticity is found to be generated in the flow at short times due to baroclinic effects and at long times due to rolling up of the plasma core. An explanation is presented for the roll up process. Scaling analysis is performed for different amounts of laser energy deposited and different Reynolds number of the flow. Simulations are conducted using three different models for air based on different levels of physical complexity. The impact of these models on the evolution of the flow field is discussed. Copyright © 2008 by Shankar Ghosh.