The final mechanism is the mist’s ability to block the transmission of radiation from the fire to other fuel sources within the compartment, otherwise known as radiation attenuation. Water mist applications have been described as being able to block the radiation in two different ways. First through a process called “wetting”. As the water mist starts to settle within the compartment, it begins to form a thin layer of water on the objects in the compartment. As the radiation reaches the objects, the layer of water absorbs the energy, begins to heat up, and keeps the objects cooled. The second method being the scattering and absorption of the radiation’s electromagnetic waves as they move through the mist. The incident radiation weakens as it travels through the mist and hits the target with a lower intensity. One application of particular interest is the use of water mist systems as a protective curtain. This later method of radiation attenuation has been the subject of several theoretical and a few experimental studies over the last 20 years as a means of thermal protection and compartmentation