Supersonic oxygen — iodine 1.4-kW laser with a 5 cm gain length and a nitrogen-diluted active medium

A compact chemical oxygen - iodine laser with a jet generator of singlet oxygen and a nitrogen-diluted active medium was developed. The maximum chemical efficiency equal to 24.1% was achieved for a chlorine flow rate of 39.2 mmol s{sup -1} , and the maximum output power equal to 1.4 kW was obtained for a chlorine flow rate of 75 mmol s{sup -1} . The following specific energy characteristics of laser radiation were obtained: output power of 5 kW per one litre of the reactor volume of the jet generator of singlet oxygen, paraxial intensity of 100 W per one square centimetre of the cross sectional area of the stream of the active medium in the resonator, and an output power per unit volume evacuation rate of 2.7 W (litre s{sup -1}){sup -1}. (lasers)