Abstract
Energy and spectral measurements of pulsed discharge‐initiated HF chemical lasers are presented. SF6/H2, SF6/CH4, and SF6/C4H10 mixtures at 228, 296, and 373 °K are considered. At the optimum pressure for each mixture, HF chemical laser output has been found to depend weakly on temperature; optimum output energy was enhanced as the initial mixture temperature was decreased. A qualitative explanation for this behavior is offered. The peak power distribution of the HF laser lines at 228 and 296 °K is also discussed.