Support of the International Laser Science Conference (1st) held in Dallas, Texas on 18-22 November 1985

Laser Science is an emerging technical area with a strong interdisciplinary flavor. It is based on atomic and molecular physics, chemical physics, condensed matter physics, optical physics and engineering, plasma physics, physical chemistry, photochemistry, materials science and engineering, electrical engineering, gaseous electronics, quantum electronics, and electro-optics. At the core of laser science are the mechanisms of the lasers themselves and the interaction of the laser photons with matter (spectroscopy and photoprocesses). Surrounding this core is the wide spectrum of scientific applications of lasers, not only in the disciplines mentioned above, but also in virtually every other area of science and technology. The primary purpose of the conference is to survey annually both the laser and spectroscopy/photoprocesses core areas and a wide variety of selected scientific applications of lasers.