Simulating the effects of real world physics for a directed energy system

Directed energy systems exhibit numerous forms of optical aberration. Some induced by the environment, such as scattering, absorption and refraction. Other aberrations are self induced, such as thermal blooming, where the index of refraction of the air changes due to the heat generated from the beam, thermal lensing effects of the optics, where the index of refraction of the optical elements change due to the energy of the beam and structural deformation to the optics caused by thermal expansion and mounts. Some of these effects can be mitigated through cooling, however, cooling such systems is a complex endeavor. Accurately modeling both the cooling of the optics and any optical aberrations the flow field induces is critical to the successful design of a directed energy system. Finally, the on target energy of a beam is typically assumed to have a cross section of a disk, however, with these aberrations accounted for, the cross section is not always a disk, nor is it always in line of sight of the source. Accounting for the both the position and the actual cross section of the beam are important to accurately model the ablation at target.