Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of a Flash-Initiated H2–F2 Laser

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Abstract
The time‐dependent output spectrum of a helium‐diluted H2–F2 chain‐reaction chemical laser has been observed. Reaction of a 50‐Torr mixture with mole ratio H2 : F2 : He = 1 : 1 : 60 was initiated by flash photolysis of the F2. Strong lasing was found from P‐branch vibration‐rotation transitions of the v = 1 → 0, 2 → 1, 3 → 2, and 4 → 3 bands of HF. Within some bands, the time sequence of transitions suggests non‐Boltzmann distributions of rotational states. No lasing from vibrational levels higher than 4 could be detected.