X-Ray Preionisation Of The Mercury Halide Lasers

Michael D. L . Stonefield; Terence A. King

doi:10.1117/12.950550

20 June 1989 X-Ray Preionisation Of The Mercury Halide Lasers

Michael D. L . Stonefield, Terence A. King

Proceedings Volume 1031, 7th Intl Symp on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.950550
Event: 7th International Symposium on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers, 1988, Vienna, Austria

Abstract

X-rays have been used to preionise all three mercury halide lasers (HgX: X=C1, Br, I) for the first time. This paper describes the design of the laser head, the discharge circuitry and the X-ray preionisation source used. The minimum X-ray source strength required to saturate the laser energy dependence on the preionisation electron density has been determined, this corresponding to a dose of ~4mR in a 7Ons FWHM pulse for the optimum mercury bromide laser gas mixture. Typical maximum energies and efficiencies obtained with the three mercury halides in N2/Ne/HgX2 gas mixtures were: HgC12 93mJ (0.27%); HgBr2 100mJ (0.34%); HgI2 - 2mJ (0.08%). The possibility of scaling the mercury chloride and mercury iodide laser energies and efficiencies to levels comparable to the known best results for mercury bromide is discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Michael D. L . Stonefield and Terence A. King "X-Ray Preionisation Of The Mercury Halide Lasers", Proc. SPIE 1031, 7th Intl Symp on Gas Flow and Chemical Lasers, (20 June 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.950550

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