Clearing of a polydisperse water aerosol by a laser pulse in the diffusive–convective regime

The propagation of an IR laser pulse through a water aerosol layer (fog, clouds) is studied. The relative motion of the beam and medium, the diffraction spread, thermal self-action of the laser beam, absorption and scattering of radiation by particles, evaporation of particles (aerosol clearing), and the size distribution of particles were taken into account. The propagation problem was solved numerically at a macroscopic scale of the order of the beam transverse size, and the action of radiation on drops was considered at a microscopic scale of the order of the particle radius. A satisfactory agreement was obtained between theoretical and experimental results.