LASER HARDENED MATERIAL EFFECTS ANALYSES

SOME PROPOSED CW LASER WEAPONSHAVEBEAM DIAMETERS ON THE ORDER OF A METER WITH FLUX LEVELS EXCEEDING 2KW/CM. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT LASER BEAM ATTENUATION BY ABLATION PRODUCTS WILL BE SIGNIFICANT FOR THIS TYPE OF WEAPON IN SOME TARGET FLIGHT REGIMES. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT WILL BE TO: (1) THEORETICALLY INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE LASER DESIGN PARAMETERS (WAVELENGTH, POWER, AND DIAMETER) AND THE TARGET FLIGHT REGIME ON ATTENUATION, (2) ESTABLISH THE PROBABLE BOUNDS ON ATTEUATION FOR THE PRINCIPAL FLOW REGIMES, AND (3) DEFINE THE GROUND TESTS THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO RESOLVE SIGNIFICANTLY UNCERTAINTIES IN THE ATTENUATION MAGNITUDE.