Direct beam-quality measurement in pulsed aerodynamic windows. Final report, August 1981 to May 1982

Technical Report · Thu Aug 12 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6846412

Kulkarny, V A; Shwartz, J; Saffman, M

Aerodynamic windows provide pressure and gas species isolation interfaces which are transparent to laser radiation. For short, high-energy laser pulses, the transient flowfield in a shock tube may be used as a single shot window. Here the laser pulse is transmitted along the tube axis a short time after the diaphragm ruptures. The feasibility of this Pulsed Aerodynamic Window concept was experimentally investigated in order to establish the optical transmission quality of the transient flowfield in the tube. In the previous phase of this effort the OPDF of the shock tube medium was characterized with interferometry. The present phase addressed a direct measurement of the beam quality (BQ) of a laser pulse transmitted through the shock tube flowfield, by recording the intensity pattern at a focus.

• Research Organization: TRW, Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC08-81DP40141
• OSTI ID: 6846412
• Report Number(s): DOE/DP/40141-1; ON: DE82019285
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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AERODYNAMICS
CONFINEMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUID MECHANICS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
INTERFEROMETRY
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
MECHANICS
OPENINGS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
RADIATIONS
SHOCK TUBES
WINDOWS