IMPROVED PULSED DISCHARGE TE LASER

SUBTOPIC 08.04, "SENSORS FOR ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE", IDENTIFIES A NEED FOR INNOVATIONS IN SENSOR TECHNOLOGY. SINCE THIS PROPOSAL RELATES TO A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PULSED CO2 TRANSMITTER TECHNOLOGY, A SENSOR SYSTEM SUCH AS NASA'S LAWS SYSTEM WOULD BE LIKEWISE IMPROVED IF THIS TECHNOLOGY IS SCALEABLE TO THE REQUIRED PULSE OUTPUT ENERGIES AND PULSEWIDTHS. THE PROPOSED INNOVATION IS SHOWN TO SIMPLIFY A PULSED DISCHARGE CO2 LASER TRANSMITTER IN THAT PREIONIZATION ELECTRODES ARE NOT REQUIRED; IN THAT THE HIGH POWER SWITCH IN THE MAIN DISCHARGE CIRCUIT IS NOT REQUIRED; AND IN THAT ARC-FREE OPERATION OF THE DISCHARGE TOPRF'S OF SEVERAL HUNDRED HERTZ ARE POSSIBLE IN A COMPLETELY SEALED-OFF, NON-RECIRCULATING, UNCATALYZED MEDIUM. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVES WILL BE TO SCALE THE RESULTS FROM THE EXISTING 1 X 1 X 17 CUBIC CM ACTIVE MEDIUM TO HIGHER PRESSURES (375 TORR); HIGHER INPUT ENERGIES (1/4 JOULE); ANDHIGHER OUTPUT EFFICIENCIES (10%). THE PHASE II OBJECTIVES WILL BE TO SCALE THE ABOVE RESULTS TO AN EXISTING 1 1/2 X 1 1/2 X 155 CUBIC CM ACTIVE MEDIUM TE DEVICE TO OUTPUTS OF 3.8 JOULES PER PULSE, 15% EFFICIENCIES AND SEALED-OFF, NON-RECIRCULATING REPETITION RATES OF 10 HZ. A FUTURE VERSION OF A PHASE II DISCHARGE HEAD IS ENVISIONED TO BE AS SMALL AS 5 CM BY 5 CM BY 120 CM, HAVE LESS THAN SIX INTRAVACUUM COMPONENTS AND HAVE OPERATING LIFETIMES OF YEARS.