Energy characteristics of a copper vapour laser in the range of stable thyratron operation

It is shown that selection of the pump parameters of lasers based on self-terminating transitions is governed by the range of stable operation of a thyratron used in the excitation circuit. The reverse voltage across a thyratron varies anomalously during the initial heating period of a gas-discharge tube. This reverse voltage should be controlled in selecting the pump parameters for the active medium of the laser.