Momentum transfer and plasma formation above a surface with a high-power CO2 laser

Abstract
An experiment was performed to measure the total impulse transferred to a surface by a high‐power pulsed 10.6‐μ laser under atmospheric conditions, and also to determine the degree to which the observed plasma decouples the laser energy from the surface. Specific interest was directed toward conditions under which a ``radiation‐driven detonation wave'' may form due to the presence of a surface. The momentum transferred in dyn sec/J decreases with an increase in the ratio of incident energy to spot area since a larger fraction of the energy is decoupled from the surface.

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