Ways of increasing the specific energy characteristics of self-contained supersonic cw chemical HF lasers

An experimental investigation was made of ways of increasing the specific energy characteristics of a self-contained supersonic cw chemical HF laser with a radial-expansion nozzle array 18 cm long. Optimisation of the chemical composition of the fuel (which was a F₂ — D₂ — He — H₂ mixture) improved the energy characteristics by 10 — 25% and made it possible to reach a specific output energy of 305 J g^–1. A 1.4-fold reduction in the size of the reactant mixing zone at the entry to the cavity increased the specific power by 50% and its maximum value was 180 W cm^–2. Possible further improvements in the specific energy characteristics are suggested.