Counter-mining using laser induced pressure wave

A method for counter-mining of a land mine contained within soil, wherein the mine has a trigger which responds to pressure, which method comprises:

• generating a pulse of radiation from a laser and transmitting the radiation as a beam pulse;
• impinging the beam pulse on a first impingement spot at the surface of said soil;
• wherein the beam pulse has an intensity sufficient to create a laser supported detonation (LSD) at said soil surface, to thereby create an associated blast wave within the soil in vicinity of the first impingement spot;
• wherein the intensity of the laser beam pulse if greater than 107 W/cm2 and less than about 5×108 W/cm2;
• and, wherein the pressure of said associated blast wave is sufficient to cause the trigger to explode the mine.

A method for counter-mining of a land mine contained within soil, wherein the mine has a trigger which responds to pressure, which method comprises:

• generating a pulse of radiation from a laser and transmitting the radiation as a beam pulse;
• impinging the beam pulse on a first impingement spot at the surface of said soil;
• wherein the beam pulse has an intensity sufficient to create a laser supported detonation (LSD) at said soil surface, to thereby create an associated blast wave within the soil in vicinity of the first impingement spot;
• and,
• repetitively generating and impinging a similar laser beam pulse on a multiplicity of other impingement spots on a selected portion of the surface of the soil, which spots are spaced apart from said first impingement spot, to thereby create a multiplicity of LSD and associated blast waves which are sufficiently close in time to provide pressure within the soil which extends over a time which is substantially greater than the duration of pressure from a single LSD and blast wave, wherein said extended-time pressure is sufficient to cause the trigger to explode the said mine.

A method for detonating land mines contained upon or within soil using a laser, wherein the mines explode when triggers respond to predetermined pressure-time profile which extends over a greater time than the duration of a blast wave resulting from a laser supported detonation created by impingement of a single laser beam pulse on the surface of the soil, which comprises:

• generating a multiplicity of pulses of radiation from one or more lasers and impinging the radiation as a multiplicity of beam pulses on one or more impingement spots on the surface of soil;
• wherein each beam pulse has an intensity sufficient to create a laser supported detonation (LSD) at said soil surface and an associated blast wave within the soil in vicinity of the beam pulse impingement spot;
• and,
• wherein the multiplicity of said associated blast waves is sufficient closely spaced in time to create a pressure-time profile at a point within the soil which causes one of said mine triggers to explode an associated mine.