PHASE-DISTORTION IN A PROPULSIVE LASER-BEAM DUE TO AEROOPTICAL PHENOMENA

The interaction between a propulsive laser beam and the flowfield after the shock wave, generated during the flight of a beam-powered conical-shaped transatmospheric vehicle, is studied. Although the adopted theoretical model is a simplified one, the results of this study anticipate some of the aero-optical phenomena to be expected during a beamed transatmospheric flight. By considering a propulsive beam operating at 3.8 /an, ohase distortions up to 51.41 wavelengths are reported. The range of flight Mach numbers covered by the present analysis falls between 1.67 and 20. As a major conclusion, considerable beam degradation can be expected only during the beginning of the beamed transatmospheric flight. © 1990, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., All rights reserved.