Abstract

Thermal blooming of laser beams in liquids and gases has been studied using geometrical optics. The intensity profiles, light rays, and fluid density changes are determined as functions of time and of the initial beam profile. Short and long time behavior are derived. The effects of thermal conduction and viscosity. are included. Special beam profiles such as a uniformly illuminated aperture, a parabolic profile, and a Gaussian beam are treated. The on-axis beam intensity as given by the theory is compared to the data proved by Kenemuth et al. and is shown to fit within the experimental error.

© 1972 Optical Society of America

Geometric Optics of Thermal Blooming in Gases. Part 1

P. V. Avizonis, C. B. Hogge, R. R. Butts, and J. R. Kenemuth
Appl. Opt. 11(3) 554-564 (1972)

Thermal Blooming of Pulsed Focused Gaussian Laser Beams

Alfred H. Aitken, John N. Hayes, and Peter B. Ulrich
Appl. Opt. 12(2) 193-197 (1973)

Mitigation of thermal blooming by rotating laser beams in the atmosphere

Die Qiu, Boyu Tian, He Ting, Zheqiang Zhong, and Bin Zhang
Appl. Opt. 60(27) 8458-8465 (2021)

Transient thermal blooming of a slewed laser beam containing a region of stagnant absorber

Paul J. Berger, Peter B. Ulrich, Jeanne T. Ulrich, and Frederick G. Gebhardt
Appl. Opt. 16(2) 345-354 (1977)

Thermal blooming of a rapidly moving laser beam

James Wallace and Joseph Pasciak
Appl. Opt. 15(1) 218-222 (1976)