CO pulsed laser model

Abstract

A numerical code has been developed to model the CO laser both in pulsed and CW Operation. The code characterizes the laser through a set of coupled quadratically nonlinear rate equations in the concentration of molecular vibrational states. All vibration-translation and vibration-vibration energy transfer processes are included in the single quantum transition approximation. Multiquantum electron molecule vibrational excitation is included together with spontaneous and stimulated emission processes. The rate coefficients used in the code will be discussed in relationship to existing experimental data and theoretical predictions. The behavior of a pulsed CO discharge laser system incorporating 30 levels of CO will be presented in relationship to available experimental data on small-signal gain. In addition, the effect of CO laser performance of a second diatomic species at both 300 K and 77 K will be discussed. The diatomic species investigated include N 2 , having a larger vibrational spacing than CO; NO, having a smaller spacing than CO; and a hypothetical species having a \upsilon = 1 to \upsilon = 0 spacing exactly resonant with the \upsilon = 5 to \upsilon = 4 spacing in CO.