Model of pulsed discharge-iniciates HF chemical laser using SF6 and C3H8 mixture

Modelling and predictions of discharge initiated lasers behaviour has always been quite a task, often replaced by direct trial and error approaches, and more so when the electric discharge indirectly triggers a chemical reaction leading to population inversion. We introduce a suitable model for predicting the energy contents, power and shape of the output pulse of an HF laser operating both in multiline and single line modes.. We simulate by computer the chemical kinetics of the substances originated from SF6 and C3H8 by an electrical discharge. The model suppose an homogeneous composition of the gas: all effects that could modify that uniformity, as temperatures gradients, arcs, etc., were overlooked. We obtain accordance with experimental results : the laser shot before the electrical discharge was finished and the cooling of the incoming gas mixture shows a significative increase of the spectral power of the laser pulse.