Influence of translational and hyperfine relaxation on the energy characteristics of an oxygen-iodine laser

A theoretical analysis is made of the influence of translational and hyperfine relaxation on the kinetics of single-mode emission from an oxygen-iodine laser. An analysis of the kinetics allowing for the finite rate of translational and hyperfine relaxation shows that, at pressures of 1–5 Torr in the resonator zone, even relatively low quenching rates (10^–2 of the pumping rate) may result in halving of the laser power. The length of the lasing zone is governed more by the rate of translational relaxation than by the rate of energy exchange between iodine atoms and oxygen.