Investigations of a UV preionized electrical discharge and CO2laser

Investigations of a moderate-volume high-pressure electrical discharge that employs volumetric photoionization of the gas by ultraviolet radiation are reported. Operation of the discharge in a self-sustained mode at high values of energy input for several microseconds duration has been achieved. Use of the method in a pulsed electrical CO
2
-laser configuration has yielded an optical energy extraction of 40 J/1 atm at a conversion efficiency of 24 percent. Experiments related to the physics of the photoionization process and parametric behavior of the discharge and laser are described.