Recombination-pumped atomic nitrogen and carbon afterglow lasers

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
It is well established that lasing of atomic nitrogen and carbon can be obtained during the afterglow of an electrical discharge in gas mixtures of either neon or helium containing low partial pressures of N2 or CO. In addition the neon‐nitrogen laser has recently been pumped directly by neclear radiation. Microwave quenching experiments have shown conclusively that the afterglow lasers are being pumped directly by the recombination of electron‐ion pairs. This result differs from the mechanisms previously proposed for these systems. Measurements comparing the relative sensitivity to the electron temperature of the neon to atomic nitrogen and carbon afterglow light imply that the recombination process pumping these lasers is cllisional‐radiative, allowing the recombining ions to be identified as N+ and C+. Since this process is highly compatible with nuclear‐radiation‐generated plasmas, it is not unreasonable to infer that this process is also the pumping mechanism in the nuclear‐excited, neon‐nitrogen laser.