Knowledge Bank

An electric discharge CO laser, wall-cooled by liquid nitrogen, is Q-switched by an intracavity chopper. Pulsed output on the $CO\Delta V=1$ fundamental band of 3 watts average power is obtained, with$>100mW$ on the $V=:-0$ component forced by laser-induced cascade. This technique is an extension of the method previously reported by Urban et al(1). The laser is used to excite pure CO, as well as CO/Ar and $CO/H2$ mixtures, in a flowing-gas absorption cell. Molecular vibrational modes are thereby maintained in a state of extreme V-V pumped disequilibrium. Electronic state emission from CO and various reaction products is being used to infer V-V and V-E energy transfer channels, as well as chemical reaction mechanisms. Further developments of a kinetic model previously used for experiments of this type(1) will also be discussed.