Dynamics of optical breakdown in an aerodisperse medium

An image-converter camera was used in an investigation of the development of a laser spark in an air stream of a real cement aerosol and of the dynamics of emission of radiation from an optical breakdown plasma. This breakdown plasma was localized in space and had a practically constant volume. The spectrum of the radiation emitted by this plasma consisted of two components: a strong continuous one with an emission duration 50 ns and a weakly emitting long-lived (~ 5 μs) line component whose nature depended on the chemical composition of the aerosol.