Severe Self-induced Beam Distortion in Laboratory Simulated Laser Propagation at 10.6 micro

Precision irradiance profiles have been determined for horizontally slewing high power laser beams through stationary absorbing gaseous media for the case of strong beam-medium interaction coupled with strong heating. Results are compared with the predictions of existing theoretical models concerning thermally induced lens effects in the presence of cross winds. Bending of the beam into the wind by beam slewing and intensification is found in reasonable agreement with the theory; for the observed overall beam spread, induced flow, turbulent tail, and concomitant beam breakup, no satisfactory theoretical treatment is available.