Discharge stabilization studies of CO laser gas mixtures in quasi-steady supersonic flow

Technical Report · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7094584

Srinivasan, G; Smith, J A

Experiments were conducted to study the applicability of a double discharge stabilization scheme in conditions appropriate for high energy CO lasers in supersonic flows. A Ludwieg tube impulse flow facility and a ballasted capacitor bank provided essentially steady flow and discharge conditions (d.c.) for times longer than ten electrode length-flow transit times. Steady, arc-free, volume discharges were produced in a Mach 3 test cavity using an auxiliary discharge to stabilize the main discharge in N/sub 2/ and He/CO mixture. A signigicant result is the lack of observed plasma E/N changes in response to auxiliary discharge current changes. Also, where glow discharges were obtained, the energy loading achieved was very much less than the threshold level required for laser operation.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Moffett Field, CA (USA). Ames Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7094584
• Report Number(s): N-77-20428; NASA-TM-X-73201; A-6897
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
CARBON MONOXIDE LASERS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
CURRENTS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GAS LASERS
GLOW DISCHARGES
HELIUM
LASERS
MIXTURES
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
OPERATION
RARE GASES
STABILIZATION