2D imaging of laser wing effects and of soot sublimation in laser-induced incandescence measurements

The distribution of Laser-Induced Incandescence (LII) signal in sooting flames along the laser beam is imaged using two directions of observation: one counter to the propagation direction of the incident laser (backward LII) and one at right angles. It is shown that the effective probe volume, in which the LII signal is observed, is highly dependent on the laser irradiance profile. At high fluence, the LII from the central part of the beam decreases because of soot sublimation. This decrease can be compensated by an increase in the LII from the wings of the laser beam. This interaction is particularly important in the extraction of quantitative information in the backward LII case, which is the configuration best suited to the practical application of LII for in-situ particle concentration measurements in the exhaust of aero-engines.