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Suppression of pore defects in keyhole laser spot welding demands for a theoretical description of the fundamental process. Investigating the unbounded keyhole collapse in liquid Zn instead of a solid provided a simplified situation offering several advantages. Improved high speed x-ray transmission imaging due to an enlarged keyhole in the absence of violent melt motion was enabled, which also facilitated the development of a semi-analytical mathematical model. Good correspondence between the experimentally and theoretically obtained transient keyhole and bubble shape permitted physical analysis by the model. Characteristic timescales were identified for post-vaporization, vapour relaxation, cooling, collapse, bubble contraction, oscillations and buoyancy. Recondensation due to rapid cooling turns out to be responsible for shielding gas flow into the keyhole, finally maintaining a spherical bubble …