Investigation of the spatial and temporal dynamics of the pump and radiation waves in a nitrogen laser

It was found that the first laser emission peak and a breakdown wave traveled from the cathode to the anode at a velocity of ~3×10⁹ cm/sec (voltage pulse amplitude 300 kV). The delay of the first laser emission peak behind the ionization wave front was 8–10 nsec. The second laser emission peak propagated from the anode to the cathode at a velocity of 5×10⁹ cm/sec, roughly equal to that of an electromagnetic signal traveling along a coaxial line with a water insulator and a discharge tube acting as the central conductor.