Energy characteristics of a supersonic CO chemical laser

The specific characteristics of a cw supersonic CO chemical laser utilizing a nonequilibrium chemical source of atomic oxygen were studied experimentally and theoretically. It was found that fairly high energy characteristics may be achieved by scaling the source. An observed reduction in the output energy was attributed to an anomalously fast vibrational deactivation of the CO molecules by oxygen atoms and to a drop in the concentration of oxygen atoms due to recombination in three-body collisions. A theoretical analysis was made of the feasibility of an increase in the output power of this laser at high pressures in the resonator when the supply of diluent air was increased.