Electrode regions of a continuous optical discharge in a thermionic converter of laser radiation energy to electric energy

A mathematical model is developed of nonequilibrium electrode regions of a continuous optical discharge burning in the interelectrode gap of a thermionic converter of laser radiation energy to electric energy, which is free of a number of limitations of the previously suggested analytical theory. The structure of the electrode regions is investigated. The singularities of the distribution of plasma parameters at different electron temperatures are revealed. The boundary conditions on the electrode boundaries of the equilibrium core of continuous optical discharge are obtained for equations which describe the distribution of the plasma temperature and in the discharge core.