The chemical oxygen-iodine laser: Comparison of a theoretical model with experimental results

Abstract

The experimental performance of a small-scale chemical oxygen-iodine laser is compared to a theoretical model. Measuring the consumption of O2 (1Δg) in the region of the flame indicates that less than five molecules of O2 (1Δg) are required to dissociate one I2 molecule. It is shown that the hyperfine relaxation rates in the iodine atom increase both the laser threshold and the active transverse length of the cavity.