Laser interaction phenomenology for water aerosols at CO2 laser wavelengths

The present paper treats the problem of high average power beam propagation through liquid water aerosols. The results can be summarized in a phenomenology map, which gives the flux/droplet size regimes where various modes of droplet dispersion dominate, and a time-scale map for dispersal of the water from its original liquid state to its quasi-final vapor-bubble state. Experimental data and other analyses are presented to verify this analysis in the range100 to one billion watts/sq cm in incident flux and 0.01 micron to 1 cm droplet sizes.