Electron kinetics and acoustically induced inhomogeneities of the energy deposited in a pulse-periodic XeCl laser

A model is developed of the kinetic processes that govern the balance of electrons in a self-sustained discharge in an He–Xe–HCl mixture. The rate constants are calculated for this mixture on the basis of the Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function. The time dependences of the electron densities are described by an approximate analytic expression which contains the main characteristics of the gas mixture and discharge. The expression is used to study a parameter relating perturbations of a local input energy to perturbations of the gas density. The time dependence of this parameter, the contribution of multistage ionization, and dependence of the Xe content in a mixture are determined. An explanation is given of the variations of the homogeneity of the discharge and of the characteristics of a pulse-periodic XeCl laser when mixtures of different compositions are used and the pulse repetition frequency is varied.