Chemical lasers

Recent developments in the theory and application of chemical lasers (CLs) are surveyed in a translation of a book published in Russian in 1980. The laws governing the gas-phase chemical reactions typical of CLs are introduced, the principles of quantum-mechanical description of molecular systems are reviewed, and the kinetics of CL processes are examined. The four general classes of CL are then presented in detail: static-gas, subsonic, supersonic, and detonation CLs. Graphs, diagrams, and drawings of experimental setups are provided.