Generation of pulses hundreds of microseconds long in an electron-beam-pumped high-pressure Ar:Xe laser

A low electron current density (down to 0.2 A/sq cm) was used to pump a laser and obtain extremely long pulses in a laser with Ar:Xe as the working media. The pump electron beam energy was 250 keV delivered in 3.5 microsec pulses. The experimental trials covered examinations of the laser outputs obtained when the proportions of the two working gases were altered over the range 4000:1 to 50:1. Attention was also given to the effects produced by changing the chamber pressure, the reflection coefficient of the resonator mirrors and pump beam energy. Increasing the pump beam energy to about 350 keV was found to make 200-300 microsec pulses possible.