Parametric performance predictions for high-power pulsed electric CO lasers

A kinetic model of the pulsed electrical CO laser is used to survey the time-dependent laser performance on parameters such as gas mixture, initial translational temperature, and discharge pulse length for both multiline and selected-line operation. Predictions are presented for the total output efficiency, spectral distributions of the stimulated transitions, energy partitioning in the vibrational and translational modes, and the translational temperature history in CO-N2 mixtures. A brief description of the kinetic model is included. Simple scaling relationships are presented which can be used to scale the results to other densities in the pressure-broadened regime.