B. S. T. J. briefs: A lens or light guide using convectively distorted thermal gradients in gases

Development of systems for long-distance communications using laser beams is of considerable current interest. A major problem is to avoid losses in transmission systems for light. Losses by scattering and absorption in solid transmission schemes arc likely to be large. By using gases as the media that guide the light beam, such losses should be minimized. A number of schemes in which gases can be made to guide a light beam have recently been in vestigated.