The surface temperature of carbon particles in a high-power laser radiation field

The exposure of absorbing particles to high-intensity laser radiation results in rapid particle heating. Here, the temperature of individual carbon particles heated by the emission of a high-power CO2 laser operating at a wavelength of 10.6 microns is measured under normal atmospheric conditions and in a low-oxygen atmosphere. It is found that, following a sharp increase, the particle temperature becomes quasi-stationary and changes only slightly during burning. For particles of the same initial dimensions, the maximum temperatures in a normal atmosphere and in an atmosphere containing less than 1 pct oxygen differ by about 200 K.