Vol. 9, issue 11, article # 12

Abstract:

In this paper we present some results of experimental investigation into the performance characteristics of a copper-vapor laser with the aperture of 60 mm in diameter and volume about 2.5 liter having an indirectly heated active element and pumped with a thyristor and a thyratron power supply. It is shown that the thyristor source having less weight and smaller size is as efficient as a standard thyratron source. The optimal voltage and power of a pump source have been found, at which the efficiency of both a pump source and a laser as a whole is maximum for a given pump power density. It has been revealed that the dependence of the optimal (with respect to the average output power of the laser) repetition frequency of pumping pulses on the wall temperature of indirectly heated active volume of a laser gas-discharge tube has a maximum.