Investigation of an electric discharge chamber of a fastflow CO2 laser

An experimental investigation was made of the electric discharge chamber of a fast-flow CO₂ laser utilizing an air-CO₂ mixture. The molecular gas pressure could be increased to 100–130 Torr retaining a fairly high specific energy input. The results indicated the existence of an optimal distance between the cathode elements. An increase in the downstream length of the chamber failed to produce a corresponding increase in the energy input. The maximum energy input was determined as a function of the gas pressure, gas velocity, and length of the discharge zone.