Thermal blooming with laser-induced convection: radial basis function simulation.

The propagation of a high energy laser through a nearly stagnant absorbing medium is studied. The absorption values and time scale of the problem are such that the laser induces convective heat currents transverse to the beam. These currents couple to the laser via the refractive index, causing time dependent thermal blooming. A numerical method is developed and applied to the model in [J. Electromagn. Waves Appl.33, 96 (2019)JEWAE50920-507110.1080/09205071.2018.1528183], using radial basis functions for spatial differencing, which allows for irregular point spacings and a wide class of geometries. Both the beam and laser-induced fluid dynamics are numerically simulated. These simulations are compared to a historical experiment of a 300 W laser in a smoke-filled chamber with good agreement; both cases include a crescent shaped spot at the target.