Parameters of an electric-discharge generator of iodine atoms for a chemical oxygen—iodine laser

Laser-induced fluorescence is used for measuring the concentration of iodine molecules at the output of an electric-discharge generator of atomic iodine. Methyl iodide CH₃I is used as the donor of atomic iodine. The fraction of iodine extracted from CH₃I in the generator is ~50%. The optimal operation regimes are found in which 80%—90% of iodine contained in the output flow of the generator was in the atomic state. This fraction decreased during the iodine transport due to recombination and was 20%—30% at the place where iodine was injected into the oxygen flow. The fraction of the discharge power spent for dissociation was ~3%.