ROTATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE SPECTRUM FOR THE GENERATION OF HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM MOLECULES

The mechanism responsible for pulsed laser action on rotational levels of H2 and D2 in which excitation during the initial stage of the pulse discharge occurs by direct electron impact from the ground state is analyzed. It is shown that in addition to the Fransk-Condon principle, it is also necessary to take into account certain features of rotational level population associated with the conservation of the molecular rotational state excited by electron impact. The peculiarities of a laser rotational spectrum (preferential laser action on P(2) and P(3) lines of H2 and D2, respectively, the great difference in laser intensity of the P(2) and P(4) lines of H2, laser oscillation solely on orthomodifications) are explained qualitatively on the basis of the proposed excitation mechanism. Unedited rough draft trans. of Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii (USSR), v3 n6 p510-5 1965.