3-D Navier-Stokes Simulation of Chemical Laser Devices

Chemical lasers are complex devices that couple twophase chemistry, fluid dynamics, and optics to generate coherent radiation capable of projecting high energy fluxes very large distances at the speed of light. Such a capability is an obvious candidate for precision engagement of targets in multiple theaters of operation, as evidenced by development programs that are intended to advance chemical lasers from the laboratory to the weapon platform. Given the complexity of the interactions between the various physical processes, simulation of chemical lasers presents an obvious opportunity for the application of high performance computing to facilitate the understanding and optimization of these devices. The work presented here illustrates how high performance computing is used to achieve an increased understanding of the physics underlying chemical oxygen iodine lasers (COILs) and their operation. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for the chemically reacting COIL flowfield coupled to radiation transport models for the optical field are executed commiserate with achieving these goals.