Influence of hydrostatic pressure on O2(1Δ<i>g</i>) yield in a bubbler-type chemical generator

Abstract

The yield of O2(1Δg) in the reactor of a bubbled chemical generator increases markedly on lowering the height of the liquid column. This finding offers a way of improving the efficiency of O2(1Δg) bubbled generators and, hence, enhancing the power of oxygen-iodine lasers. The process responsible for major losses of O2(1Δg) is a dimolar reaction of singlet oxygen, whose rate in gas bubbles within the two-phase gas-liquid system is strongly accelerated as a result of the hydrostatic pressure of the liquid. Consistent with this finding are calculations based on a model which takes into account the various processes leading to loss of O2(1Δg).