Population inversion of electronic states of alkali metals in mixtures with molecular gases under conditions of cooling in a supersonic nozzle

An analysis is made of the feasibility of population inversion of electronic states of alkali metal atoms under conditions of interaction with vibrationally excited diatomic molecules. A simplified model is constructed to describe the kinetics of electronic-vibrational energy exchange under conditions of a substantial difference between the vibrational temperature of a molecular gas and its translational temperature, for example, under conditions of rapid gasdynamic expansion. An investigation is made of the kinetics of excitation of alkali metal atoms under conditions of interaction with vibrationally excited diatomic molecules (N₂, CO). Numerical methods are used to select atom-molecule pairs, lasing transitions, ranges of parameters, and expansion conditions in gasdynamic nozzles that are the most suitable for generating coherent radiation due to electronic transitions in atoms.