Picosecond-resolution study of nonlinear scattering in carbon black suspensions in water and ethanol

The physical origin of the nonlinear scattering of light induced by focusing of intense laser pulses onto carbon black suspensions (CBS's) is discussed through the interpretation of limitation, time-resolved pump-probe transmission, and angularly and time-resolved scattering experiments performed with picosecond resolution. Comparison of the experimental results performed on two different solutions of CBS's in water and in ethanol leads us to the conclusion that the scattering phenomenon begins most probably with growing microplasmas and that the influence of the solvent is significant only at longer times. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.