A review of rate coefficients in the H2-F2 chemical laser system

In recent years, considerable effort has been expended at The Aerospace Corporation Aerophysics Laboratory to design theoretical models for computer calculations of the behavior and performance of HF chemical lasers, both pulsed and continuous. In order to perform such calculations, the rate coefficients of the various chemical reactions and energy transfer processes that occur must be known, or at least estimated. To this end, the Chemical Kinetics Department has attempted to maintain an up-to-date compilation of the rate coefficients that reflects the best current information available from published and unpublished theoretical and experimental work. When direct information has not been available, theoretical techniques for estimating rate coefficients based on various a priori principles or estimates based on comparison with related reactions with known rate coefficients are applied.