Efficiency of pulsed-discharge-initiated HF chemical lasers

D. Chuchem; M. Amit

doi:10.1117/12.144652

4 May 1993 Efficiency of pulsed-discharge-initiated HF chemical lasers

D. Chuchem, M. Amit

Proceedings Volume 1810, 9th International Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.144652
Event: Ninth International Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers, 1992, Heraklion, Greece

Abstract

In the pulsed HF chemical laser the reactants, typically SF₆ and H₂ diluted in He, are premixed in the laser cavity. The laser pumping reaction, F + H₂ yields HF^* + H, occurs following the production of free neutral F atoms from the SF₆ host molecule. One method commonly employed in `cracking' the F atom host molecule is dissociative electron attachment during pulsed electrical discharge. Typically, this pulsed discharge is produced when a low-inductance storage capacitor, C₁, is charged to high voltage, and discharged through a two electrode gap in the laser cavity with a low-inductance circuit. The introduction of a high-voltage switch into this circuit is necessary because the laser gap threshold breakdown voltage is usually too low to achieve appreciable efficiency. The efficiency of this process is improved by introducing an intermediate capacitor, C₂, into the circuit. Generally this efficiency improvement is explained by the observation that the C₂-laser circuit has a much lower inductance than the C₁-laser circuit because the C₁-laser circuit must include a high-voltage switch. Thus, in this capacity, C₂ is called a `speed-up' capacitor. In this paper we present data to show that for voltages above the discharge threshold region, and various C₁/C₂ ratios, there is a direct correlation between laser output energy, and the energy transferred to the C₂ capacitor.

Citation Download Citation

D. Chuchem and M. Amit "Efficiency of pulsed-discharge-initiated HF chemical lasers", Proc. SPIE 1810, 9th International Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers, (4 May 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.144652

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