Abstract
The effects of the propagation of a short-pulse laser wave of Gaussian temporal profile through a two-dimensional rectangular participating medium containing inhomogeneities of different shapes placed at various positions are discussed with in this article. The containing medium and its inhomogeneities differ by their scattering albedos. The thermal signatures at the boundaries are investigated for the effects of the extinction coefficient and for the shapes and locations of inhomogeneities. Heat flux distributions within the medium are also studied. Numerical information about spatial and temporal distributions of heat fluxes inside the medium are used to confirm the qualitative nature of the medium. The finite-volume method is used to solve the problem.