Some Characteristics of Laser‐Induced Air Sparks

摘要

Some of the optical properties of laser‐produced air sparks have been measured. The sparks have been photographed to determine their structure. The angular distribution of incident laser light scattered by the plasma has been found to have a strong peak in the forward direction. The spark spectrum has been recorded and used to determine the total energy in the sparks. Application as an intense light source is considered.