Center for Electro Optics & Plasma Research

Abstract : A 1-Hz hypocycloidal pinch (HCP) pumped laser was operated at 1 kJ input energy. The time integrated continuum spectrum of the pump light approximated that of a 15,000 K blackbody for the wavelength range above 250 nm. The pump emission was found to be stable at 1 Hz operation. The overall efficiency of the system was found to be 0.01% for single shot operation of pumping blue-green and near ultraviolet (uv) dye lasers 2 MW, but the laser output saturated with the input energy 4 kJ due to thermal lensing effects in the dye. Thermal effects introduced by nonuniform heating of the dye solution resulted in a reduction of the uv laser output as repetition rates increased. The thermal effects were significantly reduced by using a double walled dye cuvette. A theoretical model was developed to describe the electromagnetic acceleration of the plasma produced in the HCP device. The computer model described the operation of the device in the snow-plow mode and took into account the unique geometry and electrical parameters of the HCP devices used in the laboratory. (cp)