Accession Number:

ADA056480

Title:

Thermal Blooming and Air Breakdown Interaction for Pulsed High Energy Lasers,

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

ARMY ELECTRONICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND FORT MONMOUTH NJ

Personal Author(s):

• Rohde,Robert S.
• Buser,Rudolf G.

Report Date:

1978-06-01

Pagination or Media Count:

13.0

Abstract:

An experiment has been performed combining the effects of short-time thermal blooming and air breakdown. The experiments demonstrate that, for the cases investigated, total energy transfer is higher for breakdown with blooming than without. Energy increases up to 50 have been experimentally observed. Breakdown processes are highly sensitive to the thermal blooming structure, and the combination of both effects must be taken into account if optimum energy delivery to the target is to be achieved.

Descriptors:

• *LASER BEAMS
• *THERMAL BLOOMING
• OPTIMIZATION
• ENERGY TRANSFER
• PULSED LASERS
• HIGH ENERGY
• LASER WEAPONS
• GAS BREAKDOWN

Subject Categories:

• Lasers and Masers

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE