Femtosecond laser filament-assisted AgI-type pyrotechnic nucleant-induced water condensation in cloud chamber

AgI-type pyrotechnics are widely used in the field of weather modification, as a kind of artificial ice nuclei. However, their precipitation yield remains an intensively studied area. In this paper, we present a study of AgI-type pyrotechnic nucleant-induced water condensation promoted by femtosecond laser filaments in a cloud chamber. It is found that when 50-ml sample was irradiated by the laser filaments, the particles condensed on the glass slide are more soluble and slightly larger (5-15 μm). The irradiation of the laser filament on the nucleant rarely induces the generation of particles of sizes larger than 1 μm; however, it increases the decay time of particles from 13 to 18 min by the creation of numerous small particles. The amount of snow on the cold bottom plate increases by 4.2-13.1% in 2 h, compared to that without the irradiation of the laser filament. These results are associated with the production of high-concentration HNO₃ by the laser filament. The concentration of HNO₃ in the melt water increases by more than ten times when the sample was irradiated by the laser filaments.