Observation on instability of excitation discharge in TEA gas leasers with supersonic flow

Go Imada; Tran Thanh Son; Masataro Suzuki; Wataru Masuda

doi:10.1117/12.739378

26 April 2007 Observation on instability of excitation discharge in TEA gas leasers with supersonic flow

Go Imada, Tran Thanh Son, Masataro Suzuki, Wataru Masuda

Proceedings Volume 6346, XVI International Symposium on Gas Flow, Chemical Lasers, and High-Power Lasers; 63463A (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.739378
Event: XVI International Symposium on Gas Flow, Chemical Lasers, and High-Power Lasers, 2006, Gmunden, Austria

Abstract

The repetition rate of excitation discharge in TEA gas lasers is limited with various factors such as shock waves, heated gas and contaminations. Use of a high-speed flow is essential to achieve stable discharge in high-repetitive operation. In the present paper, the characteristics of single pulse discharge in a supersonic flow using spark UV pre-ionization and solid electrode are studied as the first step for the high-repetitive excitation discharge. A Ludwieg tube with a two-dimensional shock free nozzle is used to generate a supersonic flow with Mach number 2 in the discharge cavity, and several supersonic flow channel configurations chosen from the viewpoints of electric field and aerodynamics are tested. Shadowgraph technique is applied to visualize the gas density disturbance, which is caused by shock waves and boundary layers inside the discharge cavity. It is confirmed that the uniformity of gas, which can be achieved by suppressing the generation of shock waves, is important for the achievement of stable excitation discharge. Within the scope of the present investigation, the downstream-widened channel with upstream covered solid electrode is the best selection for the excitation discharge pre-ionized by spark UV pins in a supersonic flow.

Citation Download Citation

Go Imada, Tran Thanh Son, Masataro Suzuki, and Wataru Masuda "Observation on instability of excitation discharge in TEA gas leasers with supersonic flow", Proc. SPIE 6346, XVI International Symposium on Gas Flow, Chemical Lasers, and High-Power Lasers, 63463A (26 April 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.739378

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