Efficient operation of a low-impedance Blumlein discharge initiated HF/DF chemical laser

A study is described on the efficient operation of an HF/DF chemical laser initiated by a low-impedance Blumlein discharge. Some combinations of 0.33 and 0.66-Ω flat-plate Blumlein lines with simple discharge chambers of various active volumes were investigated. For an SF
6
/H
2
mixture, an HF laser gave a maximum efficiency of 6.3 percent, and 5 J/1 was extracted. Substitution of D
2
for H
2
gave a DF laser output energy as high as 80 percent of the HF chemical laser output.