Pulsed Laser Lethality for Missile Defense

Physical Sciences Inc. proposes to design, fabricate and deliver an innovative field portable instrument suite for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to monitor the response of materials to short-pulse laser irradiation to support the development of physical models in laser lethality assessments. The instrument suite will enable stand-off measurement of the pulse-to-pulse material ablation rate and monitor time-resolved optical emission from the resulting plasma, vapor, and heated material surface during and after laser irradiation. On a per laser pulse basis, the instrument suite will also acquire time and spatially-resolved maps of temperature. Software developed for the instrument suite will maintain synchronization of the individual diagnostics to the repetition rate of the pulsed laser system used for testing. End-users will have the flexibility to define the acquisition rates and regions of interest imaged on the material surface for measurements of ablation rate, temperature, and reflectivity pre-test. Post-test end users will be able to plot time-resolved temperature/emissivity surface profiles, maps of surface recession and UV-VIS emission spectra from the plasma for every laser pulse. At the conclusion of the program the instrument suite will be delivered to the MDA. Approved for Public Release | 25-MDA-12052 (27 Mar 25)