This book discusses the physics of conductive channel development in space, air and vacuums and summarizes the attempts to create super-long conductive channels to study the upper atmosphere and to complete specific tasks related to energy transmission from the space to earth with high-voltage high repetition rate electrical sources. Conductive channels are produced by the laser jet engine vehicle-propulsion under the influence of powerful high repetition rate pulse-periodic laser radiation by CO2-laser, solid state Nd YAG,HF/DF laser systems generated with each pulse of the powerful laser conductive dust plasma. The book also presents the experimental and theoretical results of conductive canal modeling: the laser jet engine vehicle "Impulsar", which can reach the lower layers of the ionosphere in several hundred seconds.

Further, the book explores the development of lightning protection systems. The so-called long laser spark is generated to provide the conditions for connecting a thunderstorm cloud with a grounded metal rod, i.e. a classical lightning rod. Such conductivity channels can be used for energy transmission, overvoltage protection systems, transport of charged particle beams and plasma antennas. It provides the theoretical and experimental basis of high repetition rate P-P mode of operation for high power lasers (COIL, HF/DF, CO2,Nd YAG). It describes high efficiency and excellent beam quality disk lasers used for numerous applications, including surface treatment of dielectric materials in microelectronics, cutting, drilling, welding, polishing and cleaning of the surface and other technological operations. Lastly it investigates how megawatt mono-module disk lasers could be used to solve various problems: small satellites launched by lasers, formation of super-long conducting channels in space and atmosphere, cleaning of the near-earth space from the space debris and related applications.

Autorentext

Prof. Victor Victorovich Apollonov is a doctor of physics and mathematics, and a professor at RANS and AES. He received the State Prize of USSR (1982) and Russia (2002). He is a leading specialist in the area of basic principles of creation and development of high power/energy laser systems and high power/energy laser radiation interaction with matter, and is a pioneer of various new branches of science - physical and technical fundamentals of high power laser optics and adaptive optics, investigation of physical processes in a high volume self-controlled volume discharges, creation of high power/energy continuous wave, pulsed and high repetition rate pulse-periodic laser systems, high intensity laser radiation interaction with matter, high power/energy laser application for an effective protection of valuable objects and water surface cleaning from oil films, medical applications for UV lasers. His recent investigations have focused on laser diode array phase-locking, mechanisms of shock waves merging for a rockets launch by high repetition rate pulse-periodic laser light, super-long conductive channels based on dust plasma using ablation, high repetition rate optical pulsating discharge applications, space debris elimination by laser, and scalable mono-module disk laser and have been implemented both in Russia and abroad. He is the author of more than 1700 publications,

Apollonov V.V. is a high profile scientist and well known around the globe for his more than 45 years of international scientific activity. He has participated in and organized over 60 international conferences, symposiums and workshops. Over the last 5 years, his scientific group has fulfilled more than 60 R&D contracts with customers from Japan, UK, Germany, France, China, Korea, Singapore and USA.

He is the General Director of "Energomashtechnika" Ltd and is a member of the European and American Physical Society, SPIE, AIAA, American Society for QE and a member of the Specialized Scientific Council of Russia. He is a full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Science and Academy of Engineering Sciences, and laureate of the State Prize of USSR (1982) and of Russia (2002).

Inhalt

Introduction................................................................................................................................. 5

Part I. High conductivity channels for a laser lightning-protection system .................................... 6

Chapter 1. Electric-discharge guiding by a continuous laser-induced spark .......................... 6

1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 6

2. Experimental setup ............................................................................................................................ 7

3. Experimental results and discussion ............................................................................................... 10

4. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................... 16

References ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Chapter 2. Experimental simulation of a laser lightning-protection system........................ 18

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 18

2. Experimental setup .......................................................................................................................... 19

3. Experimental results and analisis ................................................................................................... 20

4. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................... 25

References ...................................................................................................................................... 25

Chapter 3. Lightning and acology of atmosphere.............................................................. 27

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 27

2. Power of lightning ........................................................................................................................... 27

3. Lightning in the natural capacitor "Earth-Cloud" ............................................................................ 29

4. Lightning in the natural capacitor "Cloud-Ionosphere" ................................................................... 34

5. Orbital electrical socket ................................................................................................................... 37

6. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................... 38

References ....................................................................................................................................... 38

Part II. «Impulsar» as a background for high conductivity channels realization............................. 39

Chapter 4. Interaction of an optical pulsed discharge with a gas ....................................... 39

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 39

2. Conditions for stable shock waves generation ................................................................................ 40

3. Experimental setup .......................................................................................................................... 41

4. Combination of optical pulse…