Absorption of high-power infrared radiation in ozone

Theoretical and experimental investigations were made of the dependence of the absorption of infrared radiation by ozone on the intensity of such radiation in the range from 1 kW/cm² to 3 GW/cm². The nonlinear absorption spectra of ozone were recorded by switching between the CO₂ laser emission lines in the range 970–1090 cm^–1 . A comparison of the theory with the experimental results was made on the basis of an absorption mechanism typical of triatomic molecules. The effects of lifting of saturation of the rotational (bottleneck effect) and vibrational absorption transitions were studied. Two-photon and cascade (multistage) processes were considered.