Energy and spectral characteristics of a chemical CO laser with a nonequilibrium source of atomic oxygen

The energy and spectral characteristics of a subsonic chemical CO laser are presented. The CO molecules are formed in an oxidation reaction of CS₂ with atomic oxygen released in a nonequilibrium sulfur flame. A specific output energy of 4 J/g is reported for an S₂–CS₂–O₂ mixture. Spectral data are used to estimate the populations of the vibrational levels of the CO molecules.