Method for thermodynamic design of laser pumping systems

Thermodynamic design calculations are reported for coaxial and plane-parallel laser pumping systems filled with xenon. It is assumed that the active element is a neodymium-doped glass rod. The energy balance in the pumping system is described by the Elenbass–Heller equation developed for electric arcs. The solution of this equation is considered in the channel model approximation in combination with the minimum energy principle. The energy balance is considered for various discharge gaps. The dependences of the current density and temperature in a discharge on the specific electric pumping power are discussed. The influence of the radiation reflected back into the plasma on the physical characteristics of the discharge is analyzed. The effect of the absorption spectrum of the active element on the emission spectrum of the pumping source is also discussed.