This paper theoretically considers laser swelling of polymers and presents a model that relates this phenomenon to the glass-rubber transition induced by laser heating. The model takes into account both the relaxation nature of a glass-rubber transition and the temperature dependence of the relaxation time. This model theoretically follows the expansion-contraction dynamics of a polymer surface irradiated by a laser and qualitatively explains some features of published experimental data [T. Masubuchi, H. Furutani, H. Fukumura, H. Masuhara, J. Phys. Chem. B 105 (2001) 2518] on nanosecond time-resolved interferometry of UV laser-irradiated PMMA film. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.