Comments on applicability of thermal excitation for CW CO2 gasdynamic lasers operating at 16 - and 14 microns wavelength

Because of their potential use in uranium isotope separation schemes, emphasis is being given to the development of gas dynamic lasers (GDLs) operating at transitions which yield an emission wavelength close to 16 microns. Calculations are adduced to show that purely thermal excitation and expansion, without optical pumping, may suffice for the generation of the necessary transitions. The CO2 GDLs considered give under ideal conditions an output power per unit of mass flow on the order of 100 kJ/kg.