Unique properties of laser radiation including its monochromatic properties, polarization, high spectral intensity, coherence, narrow beam divergence, the possibility of controlling the pulse duration and radiation spectrum and, finally, the fact that extremely high power and energy create very favorable conditions for the extensive application of lasers to communi cation systems, systems for the lidar sensing and ultra-high-precision ranging, navigation, remote monitoring of the environment, and many other systems operating in the atmosphere. The operative efficiency of the above systems depends significantly on the state of the atmosphere and the corresponding behavior of laser radia tion propagating through it. This circumstance has stimulated the studies of the above regularities during the passt 10-15 years. For the investiga tions to be carried out the scientists were forced to develop new theories and methods for studying the problem experimentally. Moreover, during such investigations some previously unknown phenomena were observed, among them the nonlinear effects accompanying high-power laser radiation propagating through the atmosphere are of paramount importance. Among the nonlinear effects caused by high-power laser radiation inter action with the atmosphere, the effects accompanying the propagation of high-power radiation through the atmospheric aerosols are of particular interest. Aerosols always occur in the atmosphere. It should be noted that the microphysical and optical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols vary widely, this fact causes a great variety in the features of their inter action with radiation.

Inhalt
1: Microphysical and Optical Characteristics of Atmospheric Aerosols.- 1.1. Introduction.- 1.2. Preliminary Discussion.- 1.3. Light Scattering by Clouds and Fogs.- 1.4. Light Scattering by Hazes.- 1.5. Microphysical and Optical Characteristics of Precipitation.- 1.6. Scattering Phase Functions of Polydispersed Aerosols.- References: Chapter 1.- 2: Low-Energy (Subexplosive) Effects of Radiation on Individual Particles.- 2.1. Regular Regimes of Droplet Vaporization in the Radiation Field.- 2.2. Vaporization of Haze Particles Consisting of a Solid Nucleus and a Shell of Salt in Solution.- 2.3. Some Peculiarities in the Vaporization of Solid Aerosol Particles by High-Power Radiation.- 2.4. Burning of Carbon Aerosol Particles in a Laser Beam.- 2.5. Initiation of Droplet Surface Vibrations by Laser Radiation.- References: Chapter 2.- 3: The Formation of Clear Zones in Clouds and Fogs Due to the Vaporization of Droplets under Regular Regimes.- 3.1. Basic Characteristics of the Process of Clearing a 'Frozen' Cloud.- 3.2. Stationary Cleared Channels in Moving Clouds.- 3.3. The Unstable Regime of Moving Cloud Clearance.- 3.4. The Determination of the Parameters of the Cleared Zone Taking into Account the Angular Beam Width and Wind Speed.- 3.5. The Generalized Formula Describing the Beam Intensity in the Process of Beam-Induced Clearing.- 3.6. The Cleared Channel under Conditions of Turbulent Aerosol Transport.- 3.7. Nonlinear Extinction Coefficient of Aerosols.- 3.8. The Investigation of Beam-Induced Clearing of Natural Fogs.- References: Chapter 3.- 4: Self-Action of a Wave Beam in a Water Aerosol under Conditions of Regular Droplet Vaporization.- 4.1. Basic Equations of Wave Beam Self-action in a Discrete Scattering Medium.- 4.2. The Field of the Effective ComplexDielectric Constant of the Aerosol (within the Beam).- 4.3. Description of the Mean Intensity of a Beam.- 4.4. The Influence of Thermal Distortions of Wave Beams and Fluctuations of the Medium on the Beam-Induced Dissipation of Water Aerosols.- References: Chapter 4.- 5: Laser Beam Propagation through an Explosively Evaporating Water-Droplet Aerosol.- 5.1. Droplet Explosion Initiated by High-Power Laser Radiation.- 5.2. Droplet Explosion Regimes.- 5.3. Attenuation of Light by an Exploding Droplet.- References: Chapter 5.- 6: Propagation of High-Power Laser Radiation through Hazes.- 6.1. Nonlinear Optical Effects in Hazes: Classification and Features.- 6.2. Nonlinear Scattering of Light by Thermal Aureoles around Light-Absorbing Particles.- 6.3. Thermal Self-Action of a High-Power Laser Pulse Propagating through Dusty Hazes.- 6.4. Laser Radiation Transfer in Combustible Aerosols.- 6.5. Thermal Blooming of the cw and Quasi-cw Laser Beams due to Light Absorption by Atmospheric Aerosols and Gases.- References: Chapter 6.- 7: Ionization and Optical Breakdown in Aerosol Media.- 7.1. Physical and Mathematical Formulations of the Problem.- 7.2. Theoretical Analysis of Pulsed Optical Breakdown on Solid Aerosol Particles.- 7.3. The Influence of Atmospheric Turbulence on the Concentration of Optical Breakdown Centers.- 7.4. Laboratory Experiments on Laser Sparking.- 7.5. Optical Breakdown of Water Aerosols.- 7.6. Field Experiments on the Nonlinear Energetic Attenuation of Pulsed CO2-Laser Radiation during the Optical Breakdown of the Atmosphere.- References: Chapter 7.- 8: Laser Monitoring of a Turbid Atmosphere Using Nonlinear Effects.- 8.1. Brief Description of the Problem.- 8.2. Distortions of Lidar Returns caused by the Nonlinear Effects of the Interaction of High-Power LaserRadiation with Aerosols.- 8.3. An Analysis of the Criteria for Detecting a High-Power Laser Beam in Fog when the Beam Power is Sufficient to Dissipate the Fog.- 8.4. Remote Spectrochemical Analysis of Aerosol Composition using the Emission and Luminescent Spectra Induced by High-Power Laser Beams.- 8.5. An Analysis of the Possibilities of Sensing the High-Power Laser Beam Channel using Opto-Acoustic Techniques.- References: Chapter 8.- Index of Subjects.