Optical homogeneity of the active medium of a pulsed electron-beam-controlled CO laser

An experimental investigation was made of the transverse distribution of density perturbations in the active medium of a CO laser during pulsed electron-beam-controlled excitation at temperatures of 90 and 300 К and initial densities from 0.25 to 1.5 amagat. The dependences of the density gradients on the pump parameters were determined. It was found that the "additional" inhomogeneities associated with stimulated radiation in the electron-beam-controlled CO laser did not exceed 0.5% of the initial density of the active medium.