Electron-Beam Irradiated Discharges Considered for Initiating High-Pressure Pulsed Chemical Lasers.
Abstract
Volumetric irradiation by a short-pulse electron beam has been used to trigger long-duration, spatially uniform electric discharges in gas mixtures of He and F2 or SF6. Uniform energy deposition to 300 J/liter has been observed for atmospheric F2-He mixtures at nominal e-beam currents of 3 A/sq cm and discharge currents up to 20 A/sq cm. Operation suitable for efficient initiation of pulsed HF/DF chain lasers appears possible over a wide range of E/N and mixture ratios, limited by breakdown at large E/N and negligible field enhancement at low E/N. Approximate analytical plasma models are presented and used in conjunction with time-resolved afterglow current measurements ot obtain rate constants for F- ion-F2+ ion recombination and F2+ ion-electron recombination. Estimates of F2 dissociation fractions achieved in the experiments imply the possibility of scalable and efficient initiation of pulsed chemical lasers with such discharges. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0774095
Entities
People
- Alfred Ching
- James S. Whittier
- Martin L. Lundquist
- Robert Hofland
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation