Kinetic model for long-pulse XeCl laser performance

Abstract

Describes a kinetics model for <i xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">e</i> -beam excited XeCl lasers using Ne/Xe/HCl gas mixtures. The model has been validated by comparison with measure transient absorption in Ne/Xe mixtures, as well as by comparison with measured laser performance under a range of conditions. A key feature of the model is the inclusion of a fast three-body charge exchange process between Ne <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> and Xe which provides an efficient channel for XeCl* formation through ion-ion recombination. Xe <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">+</sup> <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> is predicted to be the dominant absorber in Ne/Xe mixtures with with xenon fractions greater than 0.75 percent, while Cl <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-</sup> is predicted to be the major absorber in optimum laser mixtures.