Discharge Characteristics of a Carbon Dioxide TEA Laser.

Abstract

During the past two years a rapid development in the field of high pressure CO2 lasers has been witnessed. However, in the haste of this development very little effort had been expended to understand the detailed aspects of the discharge characteristics of such lasers. The results of a parametric study of the discharge characteristics of an atmospheric pressure, double-discharge CO2 laser are reported. The results discussed include: A clarification of the important role played by helium in establishing good discharge conditions; measurements of plasma resistivity as a function of gas content and circuitry elements; establishment of a satisfactory operating regime in parameter space for a double-discharge laser with a two-centimeter gap; and a discussion of the major problems limiting the operation of such a laser. The results presented should be applicable to a wide class of double-discharge gas lasers. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1972
Accession Number
AD0756517

Entities

People

  • Ronald Floyd Bishop

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Amplifiers
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Carbon Dioxide Lasers
  • Gas Lasers
  • High Pressure
  • Lasers
  • Light Amplifiers
  • Light Sources
  • Measurement
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Tea Lasers

Fields of Study

  • Engineering
  • Physics

Readers

  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster