Laser effect on a rotating pressurized aluminium cylinder
Laser effect on aluminium sheet captured with high-speed camera and synchronized lighting (picture above) and a photograph taken from the backside by a thermographic camera (picture below)
Laser effects on different structures, materials, and substances became important in an increasing field of laser application. The classical laser application like manufacturing is complemented by the challenges of long-range laser effects or laser-based identification techniques of unexpected substances in the environment. A multitude of the present laser applications afford atmospheric propagation of the laser radiation. Modern system designs as well as the corresponding validation tests have to consider the deteriorating influence of the atmospheric phenomena on the laser beam and finally on the laser effect.
The test campaigns are usually performed under field conditions on the DLR optical test range. The influence of environment and weather on the achievable laser effect can be analyzed extensively. Test series concerning tracked laser effect on moving targets, for example, provide basic information for the design of advanced tracking systems.
Measuring data of the laser effect on generic targets were gained in several campaigns using advanced video techniques. A high speed camera in combination with a synchronised lighting system visualizes the fast processes of laser-matter interaction in great detail. Overexposures of the video by flashing of the laser beam on the target can be excluded. Melt flow and damage threshold are clearly detectable. The thermal input zone and the thermal flow can be deduced directly from the temporal behaviour of the false colours images.