Description
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Part I. High conductivity channels for a laser lightning-protection system ……………………………… 6 Chapter 1. Electric-discharge guiding by a continuous laser-induced spark …………………….. 6 1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6 2. Experimental setup ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7 3. Experimental results and discussion ………………………………………………………………………………….. 10 4. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Chapter 2. Experimental simulation of a laser lightning-protection system…………………… 18 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 18 2. Experimental setup ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19 3. Experimental results and analisis ……………………………………………………………………………………… 20 4. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25 References …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25 Chapter 3. Lightning and acology of atmosphere…………………………………………………….. 27 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27 2. Power of lightning …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 3. Lightning in the natural capacitor “Earth-Cloud” …………………………………………………………………. 29 4. Lightning in the natural capacitor “Cloud-Ionosphere” …………………………………………………………. 34 5. Orbital electrical socket ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 37 6. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 38 Part II. Impulsar as a background for high conductivity channels realization……………………….. 39 Chapter 4. Interaction of an optical pulsed discharge with a gas ………………………………… 39 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 39 2. Conditions for stable shock waves generation …………………………………………………………………….. 40 3. Experimental setup ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 41 4. Combination of optical pulsed discharge-generated shock waves …………………………………………. 45 5. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 53 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 54 Chapter 5. Mechanism of shock waves merging in a laser jet engine ………………………….. 55 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 55 2. Efficient laser jet engine ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 55 3. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 62 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 63 Chapter 6. Laser jet engine based on the resonance merging of shock waves ……………… 64 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 64 2. Parameters of a spark in the laser jet engine …………………………………………………………………….. 66 3. Mechanismof a resonance merging of shock waves in a laser jet engine ……………………………… 70 4. Spherical optical pulsed discharde ……………………………………………………………………………………. 71 5. Laser jet engine parameters in the monoreflectr scheme …………………………………………………… 78 6. Array reflector ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 78 7. Laser jet engine based on the resonance merging of shock waves ………………………………………. 81 8. Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 84 References …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 85 Chapter 7. Laser jet engine: the action of shock waves at low laser pulse repetition rate .. 86 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 86 2. Laser jet engine parameters …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 86 3. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 89 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 89 Chapter 8. Simulation of high conductivity channels in space …………………………………….. 91 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 91 2. Lasers for producing sparks in the atmosphere …………………………………………………………………… 91 3. Use of pulse-periodic lasers ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 94 4. Formation of a current-conducting channels according to the “Impulsar” program ………………… 95 5. Formation of an electrical breakdown in the channel formed by an exploding thin wire …………. 96 6. formation of an electrical discharges in a plasma channel produced by a solid-state laser …… 104 7. Experimental results ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 109 8. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 109 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 110 Chapter 9. High conductivity channel expansion rate measurements ………………………… 113 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 113 2. Formation of controlled electrical discharges in a channelproduced by the explosion of a wire 116 3. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 121 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 122 Chapter 10. “Impulsar”: New application for high power high repetition rate pulse-periodic lasers 124 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 124 2. Experimental setup ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 124 3. Results of measurements ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 128 4. The impact of thermal action ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 132 5. The dynamic resonance load …………………………………………………………………………………………… 135 6. Matrix of reflectors ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 136 7. Super-long conductive channel for energy transfer ……………………………………………………………. 137 8. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 139 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 139 Part III. Lasers and laser components for high conductivity channels implementation……………. 142 Chapter 11. Laser source for wireless power transmission in space …………………………… 142 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 142 2. High conductivity channel formation …………………………………………………………………………….. 145 3. High frequency pulse-periodic solid-state and gas-dynamic lasers ………………………………….. 146 4. Pulse-periodic HF/DF and COIL lasers …………………………………………………………………………… 150 5. Bright future -high power/energy mono-module disk laser ……………………………………………. 152 6. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 155 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 155 Chapter 12. High power high repetition rate lasers………………………………………………… 157 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 157 2. Comparison of CW and P-P regimes of operation …………………………………………………………… 157 3. Solid-state laser …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 159 4. High frequency intra-cavity loss modulation ………………………………………………………………….. 160 5. Carbon dioxide laser ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 160 6. High frequency P-P regime ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 161 7. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 163 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 163 Chapter 13. High power lasers and new applications ………………………………………………… 164 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 164 2. Lasers for laser jet engine development ……………………………………………………………………….. 164 3. Long conducting channel and new set of applications ……………………………………………………. 167 4. Lightning control ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 172 5. Manifestation of atmospheric electricity existance ……………………………………………………….. 173 6. Sprites and Jets investigation ………………………………………………………………………………………. 178 7. Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 180 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 180 Chapter 14. High power disk lasers …………………………………………………………………….. 182 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 182 2. Disk and fiber lasers ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 183 3. Design and physical foundations of disk laser operation …………………………………………………. 184 4. Laws of a disk laser scaling …………………………………………………………………………………………. 185 5. Regenerative amplification of pulses ……………………………………………………………………………. 188 6. Prospect of scaling the power/energy of a disk laser ……………………………………………………… 189 7. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 191 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 191 Chapter 15. High power molecular lasers …………………………………………………………….. 192 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 192 2. Physical model of SSVD formation ……………………………………………………………………………….. 192 3. Experiments ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 197 4. High power/energy HF(DF) lasers ………………………………………………………………………………… 204 5. Discussion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 216 6. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 224 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 225 Chapter 16. High power HF(DF) lasers …………………………………………………………………… 228 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 228 2. A new form of SSVD …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 229 3. Non-chain HF(DF) lasers pumped by SSVD ……………………………………………………………………. 241 4. Wide aperture non-chain HF(DF) lasers ……………………………………………………………………….. 245 5. Conclusions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 246 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 247 Chapter 17. High power/energy optics ……………………………………………………………….. 250 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 250 2. Static POEs based on monolithic materials …………………………………………………………………… 251 3. Static POEs based on materials with a porous structure …………………………………………………. 267 4. Adaptive POEs and optical systems based on them ……………………………………………………….. 278 5. Large POEs based on multilayer honeycomb structures ………………………………………………….. 280 6. Large POEs based on composite materials ……………………………………………………………………. 282 7. High power/energy optics and its new applications ……………………………………………………….. 284 8. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 286 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 286 Chapter 18. New materials for high power/energy lasers and new technologies …………. 291 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 291 2. New approaches for high power/energy lasers development ………………………………………….. 293 3. Laser systems of propellant ignition …………………………………………………………………………….. 295 4. New SiC -mirror manufacturing technology capability …………………………………………………… 303 5. Conclusions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 306 References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 306 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 308 Acknowledgements 310
