One-way visibility using two parallel aerosol clouds.

In this article, we experimentally and theoretically test the range of applicability of a patent that predicts one-way visibility through two successive parallel aerosol clouds, one scattering dominant and the other absorption dominant. A laboratory environment experiment has been designed to determine the ranges of transmissivity and contrast enhancement that might be of interest for military applications. In this study we show that transmissivities in the several percent range and lower are essential for any reasonable contrast enhancement between the two sides of the clouds.

Millimeter-wavelength investigation of fibrous aerosol absorption and scattering properties.

The measurements here are used to examine agreement with a recently developed theory for long-wavelength fibrous aerosol attenuative properties (extinction and components absorption, scattering). This is intended to be the final phase of a long and systematic examination of the theory's key features. In this case the parameters are high conductivities coupled with a broad range of fiber diameters. It is clear that there is a limit on the extinction efficiency or effective extinction cross section per unit fiber volume. This limit is represented by the fiber diameter of translucency, that is, the diameter at which the fiber is not completely opaque to the electromagnetic energy. The transition is approximated by the classical skin depth of the fiber. Above this diameter the peak extinction efficiency decreases with an increase in diameter at approximately the same rate for all conductors. The scattering resonance producing this peak becomes stronger as the diameter increases. Our data confirm that for fiber diameters below the skin depth the character of the attenuation is that of absorption.