Catalytic regeneration of the gas mixture in an electron-beam- controlled closed-cycle CO2 laser

The possibility was investigated of employing catalytic regeneration of the gas mixture in a cw CO₂ laser. A regenerator was made which enabled the characteristics of an electron-beam-controlled closed-cycle CO₂ laser to be stabilized without replenishing the gas mixture. The temporal characteristics of an electrical discharge in the laser are described. A mass-spectrometric analysis was carried out of the changes in the composition of the gas mixture during laser operation. A method was developed for calculating the parameters of the regenerator.