Image transmission across a laser-evaporated aqueous aerosol

An experimental study was made of the transmission of images of test objects along a communication line formed by CO₂ laser beams whose diameters were up to 5 cm and in which the power density was up to 70 W/cm². A study was made of the transmission across fogs with up to 2 g/m³ water content. It was found that the focal length of the induced thermal lens was inversely proportional to the thickness of the water layer which would be formed by precipitation of the fog in question; the lens aberrations were relatively weak.