Efficiency of an electron-beam-pumped chemical laser with an SF6-H-2 working mixture

Results are presented from a study of HF lasers pumped by non-chain chemica l reactions initiated by a radially convergent and by a planar electron bea m. The main channels of formation of vibrationally excited HF molecules are analyzed. The distribution of the energy density of the radiation in the o utput beam of a wide-aperture laser is measured. In 30 liters of a mixture of SF6:H-2 = 8:1 at a pressure of 1.1 atm an output energy of similar to 20 0 J is obtained at an similar to 11% efficiency with respect to the energy deposition. It is shown that the admixture of a buffer gas of neon or argon improves the uniformity of the radiation energy distribution in the output beam of an HF laser pumped by a non-chain chemical reaction and initiated by an electron beam, and it also increases the output energy. (C) 1999 Amer ican Institute of Physics. [S1063-7842(99)01201-5].