Abstract
The characteristic properties of the inverted-population-forming processes in lasers with ionizing pumping are considered. Results obtained from research of active laser media concerning the p-s transitions of atoms of neon, mercury, and cadmium are presented. The feasibility of ion-ion recombination in lasers with nuclear pumping is discussed. The excitation kinetics of the first negative system of CO, heteronuclear ionic molecules of inert gases, and halogenides of inert gases under ionizing radiation are considered.
Highlights
The study of the optical radiation of nuclear-excited plasmas is of interest for the development of a method to extract energy from nuclear reactors and to control and adjust the nuclear reactors’ parameters
The mechanisms of level population in gas lasers pumped by ionizing radiation at the 3p-3s transitions of neon, the d-ptransitions of inert gases, and the mercury triplet lines were analysed
It was shown that the dissociative recombination of molecular ions with electrons is not the basic process underlying the population of the p levels of inert-gas atoms
Summary
The study of the optical (laser or spontaneous) radiation of nuclear-excited plasmas is of interest for the development of a method to extract energy from nuclear reactors and to control and adjust the nuclear reactors’ parameters. The direct pumping of active laser media is generally achieved by means of products of nuclear reactions involving thermal neutrons from the nuclear reactor: 3He(n,p)3H, 10B(n,α)7Li, 235U(n,f)F, and others. In contrast with the majority of the scientific community, who have conducted their research regarding direct nuclear-pumped lasers by using pulse nuclear reactors with high neutron fluxes [1, 2], the research at the INP has been conducted using the stationary nuclear WWR-K reactor, which can produce thermal neutron fluxes up to 1014 n/cm2s In this regime, the power density of the nuclear-reaction products that are transformed into gas does not exceed a few W/cm, necessitating a search for active media with very low lasing thresholds. The negative results of these early experiments revealed the necessity of searching for novel active media and novel schemes of level population, taking into account the characteristic properties of nuclear pumping
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