Investigation of the conditions for efficient initiation of HF chemical lasers by a relativistic electron beam

Abstract

An investigation was made of the feasibility of achieving a high specific output energy and a high electrical efficiency in an H2?F2 chemical laser excited by a relativistic electron beam. Using an H2:F2:O2:He = 6:15:1.2:50 mixture at a pressure of 1.3 atm, a specific output energy of 100 J/liter was achieved with an efficiency of ~ 900% with respect to the energy deposited in the active volume of the laser and a chemical efficiency of ~ 4%. The degree of initiation and the efficiency were estimated using the experimentally measured electron beam energy absorbed by the active volume of the laser. A high efficiency of utilization of the electron beam energy, ~ 200%, was obtained. It was found that the H(F)+O2+M?H(F)O2+M three-body recombination process was very undesirable in active mixtures at pressures of ~ 1 atm. The rate constants of this reaction for M = He, Xe, and SF6 were determined experimentally.