Photodissociation XeF laser emitting visible and ultraviolet radiation when pumped with radiation from a sectioned surface discharge

An investigation was made of an XeF laser with an active length ~ 170 cm and an exit aperture of 12 X 20 cm. The optical pump source was a single-channel sectioned electrical discharge on the surface of polyethylene with a period-average deposited power density dP / dx ~ 41.6 MW/cm. The energy of the laser radiation generated as a result of the B–X transition (λ ≈ 351 nm) reached 70 J, whereas in the visible range the energy delivered by the C–A transition (λ_av = 480 nm) was 98 J.