Multiple scattering of optical pulses in scale model clouds

Abstract

The results of experiments to measure the delay, temporal stretching, attenuation, and spatial spreading of optical pulses in scale model clouds are reported. The model clouds consisted of diiodomethane/water or paraffin oil/water emulsions maintained in a rotating scattering cell to prevent settling of the droplets. The optical pulses were 532-nm, 25-psec duration pulses generated by a frequency-doubled passively mode-locked Nd:YAG laser and were detected with a 10-psec resolution streak camera. The measurements of the delay in the mean arrival time of the pulses due to multiple scattering are the first measured directly.