Electron-beam-controlled chemical hydrogen–iodine laser

A study is made of the feasibility of constructing a hydrogen–iodine laser with electron-beam-controlled excitation, emitting as a result of the ²P_1/2→²P_3/2 magnetic-dipole transition in atomic iodine (λ = 1.315 μ). The necessary iodine atoms are produced in an H₂–Ar–I₂ mixture as a result of a fast chemical reaction H + I₂→HI + I initiated by an electric discharge. An analysis of the main processes combined with a calculation of the distribution function of electrons is used in a numerical modeling of such a laser. It is found that the specific input energy required in a hydrogen–laser is fairly high, 250–300 J·liter^–1·atm^–1, and that there are optimal values of this input energy and of the initial temperature of the mixture.