Effective absorption for thermal blooming due to aerosols

Abstract

Thermal blooming on laser propagation due to the presence of aerosol particles is considered. Emphasis is placed on the derivation of an effective absorption coefficient α_eff(t), where α_eff(t) corresponds to that part of aerosol absorption which heats up the air only. Becuase of the small but nonvanishing heat capacity of the aerosol particles, air is not instantly heated resulting in a small time delay in thermal blooming.