Geometrical Optics of Dense Aerosols

Dense aerosols might be focused in such a way that a planar sheet of material is created and could be ionized to form a free-standing sheet of moderately high-density plasma. Such a sheet of plasma might be useful for its optical properties, possibly as a lens or as an amplifier, since free access is available normal to the plane. We analyze dense aerosol formation under aerodynamic focusing, including momentum coupling between the continuous and discrete phases. To demonstrate the geometrical optics of dense aerosols, we present the design basis for a two-stage device capable of producing these planar sheets.