Multiple pulse laser propagation through atmospheric dust at 10.6 microns

This paper reports the results of experiments on the propagation of repetitively pulsed CO2 lasers (10 microsec pulse duration, up to 100 pulses per second) through uniformly distributed solid aerosols at fluxes (average of about 6 x 10 to the 6th W/sq cm) high enough to cause plasma ignition on aerosol particles above a critical size. The measured transmission was in agreement with a simple blockage model with no statistically meaningful pulse to pulse differences. Plasma growth of breakdown centers were also monitored and compared with phenomenology maps of laser-aerosol interaction.