A Quantitative Theory of an Electron-Beam-Excited Carbon Monoxide Gas Dynamic Laser: 1. Formulation

Abstract

A new concept for a high power CO gas dynamic laser, coupling a supersonic expansion nozzle and an electron beam preionizer-sustainer discharge system, that promises both the high efficiency of an electrically pumped CO GDL and the high power of a thermally pumped CO GDL. The superiority of the proposed laser to existing CO lasers for atmospheric application is shown. General operational characteristics of a CO laser, and a state of the art review of the various types of continuous-wave CO lasers are given. The principle of anharmonic (V-V) pumping is presented, and the excitation and inversion mechanisms of these CO lasers are described. Finally, a quantitative theory is formulated to describe the new laser, and a frozen flow approximation of the problem is proposed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1973
Accession Number
AD0777143

Entities

People

  • C. C. Chen

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Carbon Dioxide Lasers
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Carbon Monoxide Lasers
  • Chemical Lasers
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Electric Discharges
  • Energy Transfer
  • Frequency Combs
  • Gas Dynamic Lasers
  • Gas Lasers
  • Laser Applications
  • Laser Beams
  • Laser Science
  • Lasers
  • Light (Electromagnetic Radiation)
  • Vibrational Relaxation

Fields of Study

  • Engineering
  • Physics

Readers

  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers
  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flight
  • Microelectronics