Infrared laser development for photochemistry applications. Final report

Technical Report · Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6035193

Nelson, L Y; Hoverson, S J; Newton, J F; Byron, S R

This report summarizes research carried out at Mathematical Sciences Northwest, Inc. (MSNW) in support of the laser isotope separation program at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). Two major projects were carried out in the current program: (1) CO laser optical pumping studies for the development of 8.6- and 16-..mu..m lasers, and (2) construction of three HF laser systems for generating 16-..mu..m radiation in CdSe optical parametric oscillators. Optical pumping experiments were directed at measuring the absorption of CO laser lines by various molecules and investigating the optical pumping of suitable candidates by pulsed CO laser sources. Successful operation of optically pumped O/sup 13/CS and COF/sub 2/ lasers at 8.6 and 10 ..mu..m, respectively, is described. A high power (1 to 2 MW), CO laser source was designed and constructed for optical pumping experiments. This new pump source permitted investigations under conditions where a conventional supersonic laser device (100-kW peak output power) would normally limit laser operation to less than 2 torr because of rapid molecular vibration deactivation rates. Therefore, the feasibility of a high pressure, continuously tunable O/sup 13/CS laser at 8.6 ..mu..m could be experimentally explored. Details concerning the performance characteristics and design of this new CO laser system are presented. The key findings of this work are summarized and recommendations given for future research.

• Research Organization: Mathematical Sciences Northwest, Inc., Bellevue, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-77AL03868
• OSTI ID: 6035193
• Report Number(s): MSNW-77-1064-4; TRN: 82-001825
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CARBON FLUORIDES
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
OPTICAL PUMPING
CARBON MONOXIDE LASERS
DESIGN
CARBONYLS
GAS LASERS
LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION
OXYSULFIDES
ABSORPTION
CARBON 13
ELECTRON BEAM PUMPING
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
INFRARED RADIATION
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON ISOTOPES
CHEMISTRY
ELECTRICAL PUMPING
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
ISOTOPES
LASERS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PUMPING
RADIATIONS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SPECTRA
STABLE ISOTOPES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
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