Fission fragment excited laser system

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1976

OSTI ID:862508

McArthur, David A ^[1]; Tollefsrud, Philip B ^[1]

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1. Albuquerque, NM

A laser system and method for exciting lasing action in a molecular gas lasing medium which includes cooling the lasing medium to a temperature below about 150 K and injecting fission fragments through the lasing medium so as to preferentially excite low lying vibrational levels of the medium and to cause population inversions therein. The cooled gas lasing medium should have a mass areal density of about 5 .times. 10.sup.-.sup.3 grams/square centimeter, relaxation times of greater than 50 microseconds, and a broad range of excitable vibrational levels which are excitable by molecular collisions.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(29-1)-789
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 3952263
• OSTI ID: 862508
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

fission
fragment
excited
laser
method
exciting
lasing
action
molecular
gas
medium
cooling
temperature
below
150
injecting
fragments
preferentially
excite
lying
vibrational
levels
population
inversions
therein
cooled
mass
areal
density
times
10
grams
square
centimeter
relaxation
50
microseconds
broad
range
excitable
collisions
lasing action
fission fragments
molecular gas
cooled gas
broad range
temperature below
lasing medium
population inversion
relaxation times
gas lasing
areal density
square centimeter
excited laser
fission fragment
relaxation time
preferentially excite
/372/359/376/