Studies of E-beam pumped molecular lasers

The authors describe experimental and theoretical studies which examine the feasibility of attaining laser action in high pressure gas mixtures (in particular Ar - N2 - NO) excited by electron beam pulses. Using photometrical and photographical means, then have measured 14 reaction rate coefficients for this system, and were able to determine that there exists large populations of metastable excited N2 (implying long lived high energy storage capacity). A kinetic model program describing the complex interaction of the gases has been developed which agrees well with experiment. This model can predict potential laser efficiencies of the following N2 transitions: an efficiency of almost 1% for the 2(0-1) band, 1.8% for the 1- (0-0) band, and the possibility of efficient lasing in the V-K system. (Modified author abstract)