Volumetric UV photo-ionization in co laser media

Self-sustained discharges initiated by UV volume photo-ionization are an excellent means of pumping pulsed, high-power lasers. As a pre-requisite to understanding the scaling of uniform discharges to large volume, photo-electron generation from a bare spark source was measured versus source distance (2-22 cm), gas composition and pressure (0.2-1 atm), peak spark current (10-1200 amp), spark supply energy (0.0125-2.5 Joules), and spark duration (0.02-40 μs). As a result, the controlling physical mechanisms are now sufficiently understood to specify the initial electron distribution produced by an array of spark sources in an arbitrary CO
₂
, N
₂
. He discharge volume.