Detailed experimental investigations of the kinetics of the vibrational and translational temperatures of the active medium of a TEA CO2 laser are reported for the first time. A comparison of the theoretical and experimental results confirms the validity of the generally adopted temperature model for times ≳1 μsec/atm after the start of the discharge. A considerable difference between the experimental and theoretical results in the range <1 μsec/atm shows that in this range a dynamic equilibrium is still absent between the lower levels of the symmetric and bending modes. A reduction discovered in the rate of transfer of vibrational energy from N2 to CO2 for excitation in an electric discharge is explained by the excitation of the higher vibrational levels of N2, a low VV relaxation rate in nitrogen, and anharmonicity of the N2 molecule.

Results are presented of a theoretical investigation of the energy characteristics of a CO2 molecular laser emitting in the 0200–0110 channel (16 μ). It is postulated that the system is pumped by radiation from pulsed HBr and CO2 lasers in the 4.3 and 9.6 μ bands, respectively. The optimal parameters of the laser are determined. It is shown that at pump energies of ~0.02 J/cm2, resonator lengths of ~100 cm, loss coefficients of ~0.01 cm−1, and optimal values of the pump pulse duration, pressure, and CO2–He mixture composition, the efficiency of conversion of the 4.3 μ pump radiation energy into 16 μ stimulated emission energy attains ~4.5%.

Relationships are obtained for calculating the spatial distribution of the single-trip gain in a twocomponent molecular laser and amplifier pumped optically in the fundamental band. The threshold characteristics of the laser system are investigated for various pressures and compositions of the gas mixture and for various resonator lengths.