Efficiency of an H2 — SF6 laser with electron-beam initiation of chemical reactions

The spectral and amplitude–time characteristics of HF lasers pumped by a nonchain chemical reaction and initiated by radially convergent and planar electron beams were investigated. The principal channels leading to the formation of vibrationally excited HF molecules were analysed. It was confirmed that high efficiencies (~10%) of a nonchain HF laser may be attained only as a result of the simultaneous formation of atomic and molecular fluorine when the active mixture is acted upon by an electron beam and of the participation of molecular fluorine in population inversion. It was shown that a laser pulse has a complex spectral–temporal profile caused by the successive generation of P-lines and the overlap during the radiation pulse of both the rotational lines of the same vibrational band and of individual vibrational bands.