Efficiency of an electron-beam-pumped chemical laser with an SF6-H2 working mixture

Abstract

Results are presented from a study of HF lasers pumped by non-chain chemical reactions initiated by a radially convergent and by a planar electron beam. The main channels of formation of vibrationally excited HF molecules are analyzed. The distribution of the energy density of the radiation in the output beam of a wide-aperture laser is measured. In 30 liters of a mixture of SF6:H2=8:1 at a pressure of 1.1 atm an output energy of ∼200 J is obtained at an ∼11% efficiency with respect to the energy deposition. It is shown that the admixture of a buffer gas of neon or argon improves the uniformity of the radiation energy distribution in the output beam of an HF laser pumped by a non-chain chemical reaction and initiated by an electron beam, and it also increases the output energy.