Gasdynamic laser with thermal-nonequilibrium heating of the active medium by an electric arc

The possibility is considered of constructing a gasdynamic laser with thermal-nonequilibrium electric-arc heating of the energy-carrying component of the active medium and with selective excitation of the optically active component by mixing it into the hot gas in the region of the throat of the nozzle channel. Results are given of experimental detection of a lack of vibrational equilibrium in nitrogen when it is heated in a high-current high-pressure arc discharge, stabilized by intense injection of gas through a porous discharge-channel wall. For the parameters realized in the experiments, I = 100-300 A and p = (1-2)×10⁵ Pa, the vibrational temperature of the ground state of the nitrogen molecule exceeded the translational temperature of the gas by 1000-3000°K. The possible advantages of gasdynamic (CO₂) lasers with thermal-nonequilibrium electric-arc heating over traditional gasdynamic lasers with equilibrium heating of the active medium are indicated.