Nuclear-Induced Plasmas of Gas Mixtures and Nuclear-Pumped Lasers

Abstract

We briefly describe the basic processes of formation and relaxation of nuclear-induced plasmas of gas mixtures, especially the processes of inverse population creation in nuclear-pumped lasers (NPL). A review of the work to create and research nuclearpumped lasers is in progress: on transitions of atoms and atomic ions and on molecular transitions. An increased focus is on the gas media, which we also study on WWR-K nuclear reactor and DC-60 ion accelerator. The studies on emission of heteronuclear ionic molecules of inert gases are also reviewed.

Optical Emission of the Nuclear-Induced Plasmas of Gas Mixtures

“…The work of Carter et al, which was also performed using a stationary nuclear reactor, is worthy of special note. In our experiments, the neutron flux density was smoothly varying from 10 11 to 10 14 n/cm 2 s, but the lasing threshold in the 3 He-Ne mixture was not reached [5,8]. Moreover, in mixtures containing neon under ionizing pumping, emission at = 632.8 nm is nearly absent [9,10].…”

“…In contrast with the majority of the scientific community, who have conducted their research regarding direct nuclear-pumped lasers by using pulse nuclear reactors with high neutron fluxes [1,2], the research at the INP has been conducted using the stationary nuclear WWR-K reactor, which can produce thermal neutron fluxes up to 10 14 n/cm 2 s. In this regime, the power density of the nuclear-reaction products that are transformed into gas does not exceed a few W/cm 3 , necessitating a search for active media with very low lasing thresholds. The advantage of experiments conducted using stationary nuclear reactors lies in the possibility to perform more detailed research concerning nuclear-induced plasma [5].…”