Electric generators of singlet delta oxygen for an oxygen-iodine laser

Abstract

Experimental and theoretical research into electric generators of singlet delta oxygen (SDO) for an oxygen-iodine laser made at the Lebedev Physics Institute and TRINITI is discussed. Breakdown and current-voltage characteristics of self-sustained electric discharge in SDO were studied both experimentally and theoretically, indicating that SDO and pure oxygen have quite different electric features. The electric properties and spectroscopy of an e-beam sustained discharge (EBSD) in oxygen and oxygen gas mixtures were experimentally studied. A comprehensive numerical model describing SDO kinetics in different kinds of discharge was developed. The pulsed EBSD in pure oxygen and its mixtures with noble gases was shown to be very unstable and characterized by low input energy. When adding small amounts of carbon monoxide or hydrogen, the electric stability of the EBSD increases, the specific input energy (SIE) per molecular component being more than order of magnitude higher and coming to 6.5 kJ/(l atm(O2 + CO)) for the gas mixture O2: Ar: CO = 1: 1: 0.1. Theoretical calculations demonstrated that, for an SIE of 6.5 kJ/(l atm), the SDO yield may reach ∼20%, exceeding its threshold value needed for oxygen-iodine laser operation at room temperature. The calibration of the optical scheme for measuring the SDO absolute concentration and yield using the detection of luminescence of the SDO going from a chemical SDO generator was performed. The measurement of the SDO yield demonstrated that it was ∼10.5% for an SIE of ∼3.0 kJ/(l atm(O2 + CO)), which is about 1.5 times less than the results of theoretical calculations for such an SIE. SDO production in RF slab discharge ignited in oxygen gas mixtures was experimentally studied, experimental SDO yield being about 10%. The choice of electrode material was demonstrated to be very important.