Note on a non-Mossbauer gamma laser

An analysis is made of the approach suggested by Wood and Chapline [Nature (London) 252, 447 (1974)] for the development of a non-Mossbauer gamma laser pumped by fast neutrons from a laser-induced thermonuclear reaction. It is shown that if allowance is made for the accidental absorption of gamma photons (Compton scattering, inverse bremsstrahlung), which were not considered by Wood and Chapline, the gamma laser proposed by them is found to be unrealistic.