Small scale discharge studies. Semi-annual report 1 Mar--31 Aug 76

Technical Report · Tue Aug 31 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:6938787

Jacob, J H; Mangano, J A; Rokni, M

The report discusses the discharge physics and the formation and quenching processes in typical XeF laser mixtures. The discharge physics is dominated by electron impact excitation and ionization of the rare gas metastables. The ionization of the metastables impacts the discharge stability directly while their excitation strongly affects the efficiency of producing XeF*. Discharge experiments determined that Xe (6p) states react with NFt/sup 3/ to produce XeF* with a branching ratio of 0.7. The rate constant for this reaction is .0004 cm/sup 3//sec. The formation and quenching processes have been determined by analyzing the dependence of (B2 Sigma(+)1/2 goes to X2 Sigma(+)1/2 radiation on the partial pressures of Ar, Xe, and F/sub 2/. In the experiments the XeF* was produced by a high energy e-beam. We have determined the two and three body quenching rates by Ar to be 8 +- 4x10/sup -13/ cc/sec and 1.5 +- 0.5 x 10/sup -32/ cm to the 6th/sec. Xe quenches XeF* with a three body rate of 3 +- 1.5 x 10 to the -31st cm to the 6th/sec; the third body was mainly argon. (Author)

• Research Organization: Avco-Everett Research Lab., Everett, Mass. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6938787
• Report Number(s): AD-A-047220
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ARGON
ELECTRICAL PUMPING
ELEMENTS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
GAS LASERS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
LASERS
NONMETALS
QUENCHING
RARE GAS COMPOUNDS
RARE GASES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
XENON COMPOUNDS
XENON FLUORIDES