Pulsed clearing of a synthetic aqueous aerosol by CO2 laser radiation

An experimental investigation was made of the action of a microsecond pulse in the 10.6 µ range on the dispersive properties of a fine-droplet synthetic aqueous fog. It was found that when a certain threshold pulse energy was reached, a state of total clearing occurred and remained stable for a time governed by the wind-induced drift of the fog. At subthreshold pulse energies, secondary condensation occurred causing clouding of the medium at the 0.63 µ wavelength. An optothermodynamic analysis was made of the clearing process and the recondensation kinetics was analyzed.