Laser or ozone generator in which a broad electron beam with a sustainer field produce a large area, uniform discharge

Claim 2

In the method of producing a spatially uniform controlled discharge substantially throughout a gaseous working medium in a working region, the steps comprising: a. providing a gaseous working medium at a pressure in a working region disposed in a cavity having imperforate walls for confining the gaseous working medium that upon the production of secondary electrons in said medium said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in secondary electron density in said medium; b. generating ionizing radiation externally of said cavity; c. introducing said ionizing radiation into said cavity through one of said walls to produce substantially throughout said working region a substantially spatially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium by ionizing said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said ionizing radiation; and d. providing a sustainer field for providing substantially uniformly throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization, said electron temperature producing said controlled discharge substantially uniformly throughout said woRking region at a predetermined level.

Claim 3

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said electron temperature is controlled at least in part by flowing said medium through said cavity.

Claim 4

The method as defined in claim 2 wherein said density and temperature are maintained at said values less than that which will produce uncontrolled arcing for times less than the characteristic time of said discharge.

Claim 5

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the density of said secondary electrons is controlled at least in part by flowing said medium through said cavity.

Claim 6

The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said working medium is passed through said cavity.

Claim 7

In the method of producing a spatially uniform controlled discharge substantially throughout a gaseous working medium in a working region, the steps comprising: a. passing a gaseous working medium at a pressure through a working region disposed in a cavity having imperforate walls for confining the gaseous working medium that upon the production of secondary electrons in said medium said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in secondary electron density in said medium; b. generating ionizing radiation externally of said cavity; c. introducing said ionizing radiation into said cavity through one of said walls to produce substantially throughout said working region a substantially spatially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium by ionizing said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said ionizing radiation; d. providing a sustainer field for providing substantially uniformly throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization; and e. providing a pressure and velocity of said medium in said working region to produce said controlled discharge substantially uniformly throughout said working region at a predetermined level.

Claim 8

In the method of producing a spatially uniform controlled discharge substantially throughout a gaseous working medium in a working region, the steps comprising: a. passing a gaseous working medium at a pressure through a working region disposed in a cavity having imperforate walls for confining the gaseous working medium that upon the production of secondary electrons in said medium said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in secondary electron density in said medium; b. generating ionizing radiation externally of said cavity; c. introducing said ionizing radiation into said cavity through one of said walls to produce substantially throughout said working region a substantially spatially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium by ionizing said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said ionizing radiation; d. providing a sustainer field for providing substantially uniformly throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization; and e. providing a pressure and velocity of said medium in said working region to produce said controlled discharge substantially uniformly throughout said working region at a predetermined level.

Claim 9

In apparatus for producing a controlled discharge for providing molecular excitation of a gaseous working medium, the combination comprising: a. means defining a cavity having a working region disposed therein, said cavity having imperforate walls for confining a gaseous working medium and defining a predetermined cross section and volume; b. a working medium in said cavity and working region at a pressure that upon the production of free electrons in said medium at said pressure said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in electron density in said medium; c. first means for generating ionizing radiation externally of said cavity; d. second means for introducing said ionizing radiation into said cavity through one of said walls and producing substantially throughout said working region a substantially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium by ionizing said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said ionizing radiation; and e. third means for providing a sustainer field for providing substantially throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature of said secondary electrons effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization, said electron temperature producing said controlled discharge substantially uniformly throughout said working region at a predetermined level.

Claim 10

In apparatus for producing a controlled discharge for providing molecular excitation of a gaseous working medium, the combination comprising: a. means defining a cavity having a working region disposed therein, said cavity having imperforate walls for confining a gaseous working medium and defining a predetermined cross section and volume; b. a working medium in said cavity and working region at a pressure that upon the production of free electrons in said medium at said pressure said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in electron density in said medium; c. first means for generating ionizing radiation externally of said cavity; d. second means for introducing said ionizing radiation into said cavity through one of said walls and producing substantially throughout said working region a substantially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium by ionizing said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said ionizing radiation; and e. third means for providing a sustainer field for providing substantially throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature of said secondary electrons effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization, said electron temperature producing said controlled discharge substantially uniformly throughout said working region at a predetermined level.

Claim 11

The combination as defined in claim 7 wherein said cavity includes gas inlet and gas outlet means, and additionally including fourth means coupled to said gas inlet for flowing said medium through said cavity.

Claim 12

The combination as defined in claim 8 wherein said fourth means includes further means for providing a predetermined pressure and velocitY of said medium in said working region.

Claim 13

The combination as defined in claim 8 and additionally including diaphragm means separating said first means and said cavity, said ionizing radiation being introduced into said medium through said diaphragm intermediate said gas inlet and said gas outlet and normal to the direction of flow of said medium through said cavity.

Claim 14

The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said third means includes electrode means for providing a sustainer electric field in said cavity normal to the direction of flow of said medium, said electrode means comprising a first electrode adjacent the wall through which said radiation is introduced and through which said radiation passes, and a second electrode oppositely disposed to said first electrode adjacent the opposite wall of said cavity.

Claim 15

The combination as defined in claim 11 wherein said second means includes a perforate plate member and a thin diaphragm covering and carried by said plate member, said diaphragm being disposed between said plate member and said medium.

Claim 16

The combination as defined in claim 7 wherein: a. said medium has an upper and lower laser state; b. said first and second means provides a density of secondary electrons in said medium sufficient to support a population inversion; and c. said third means increases the average energy of said secondary electrons to a level to produce a population inversion in said medium in said cavity.

Claim 17

The combination as defined in claim 13 and additionally including: a. means for passing said medium through said cavity in the form of pulses; and b. means for actuating said first, second and third means intermediate said pulses to produce said population inversion intermediate said pulses.

Claim 18

The combination as defined in claim 13 wherein said medium is continuously passed through said cavity.

Claim 19

In the method of light generation by stimulated emission of radiation substantially throughout a gaseous active medium in a working region, the steps comprising: a. providing a gaseous active medium at a pressure in a working region disposed in a cavity having imperforate walls for confining the gaseous working medium that upon the production of secondary electrons in said medium said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in secondary electron density in said medium, said medium having an upper and lower laser state; b. generating externally of said cavity a broad area electron beam having a cross sectional area conforming substantially to that of said working region; c. introducing said electron beam into said cavity through one of said walls to produce substantially throughout said working region a substantially spatially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium having an average energy insufficient to produce a population inversion in said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said electron beam; and d. providing a sustainer field for providing substantially uniformly throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization, said electron temperature producing an average energy level sufficient to support a population inversion in said medium.

Claim 20

In the method of light generation by stimulated emission of radiation substantially throughout a gaseous active medium in a working region, the steps comprising: a. providing a gaseous active medium at a pressure in a working region disposed in a cavity having imperforate walls for confining the gaseous working medium that upon the production of secondary electrons in said medium said medium has ambipolar and thermal diffusion rates incapable of damping local increases in secondary electron density in said medium, said medium having an upper and lower laser state; b. generating externally of said cavity a broad area electron beam having a cross sectional area conforming substantially to that of said working region; c. introducing said electron beam into said cavity through one of said walls to produce substantially throughout said working region a substantially spatially uniform predetermined density of secondary electrons in said medium having an average energy insufficient to produce a population inversion in said medium, said one wall being impervious to gases and pervious to said electron beam; and d. providing a sustainer field for providing substantially uniformly throughout said working region a predetermined electron temperature effective to increase the average energy of said secondary electrons without substantially increasing said predetermined electron density by self-regenerative ionization, said electron temperature producing an average energy level sufficient to support a population inversion in said medium.

Claim 21

The method as defined in claim 16 wherein said medium is at least sequentially passed through said cavity at a pressure and velocity to produce substantially uniformly throughout said working region a population inversion in said medium.

Claim 22

The method as defined in claim 17 wherein the electron temperature is controlled by providing a sustainer electric field in said medium and said pressure and velocity are provided to produce substantially maximum population inversion in said working region.

Claim 23

The method as defined in claim 16 wherein saiD population inversion is serially provided in the form of pulses and the energy added to the medium by the introduction of said free electrons is less than the energy added to the medium by said sustainer field.

Claim 24

In high powered laser apparatus the combination comprising: a. gas supply means for producing a flow of a gaseous medium having a predetermined velocity and pressure and an upper and lower laser state; b. means defining a cavity including a working region for receiving said medium from said gas supply means and through which said flow passes; c. first means for generating externally of said cavity a broad area electron beam having a cross sectional area conforming substantially to that of said working region, said means defining said cavity including walls for confining said medium, one of said walls including a diaphragm impervious to said medium and pervious to said electron beam; d. second means for introducing said electron beam into said cavity through said diaphragm forming a part of said one of said walls of said cavity and produce a substantially uniform spatial distribution of secondary electrons in said medium in said working region by ionizing said medium, said secondary electrons having an average energy insufficient to produce a population inversion in said medium; and e. third means for providing a sustainer field for controlling the electron temperature of said secondary electrons in said medium to substantially uniformly throughout said working region increase their average energy without substantially increasing the density thereof by self-regenerative ionization at said velocity and pressure and produce a population inversion in said medium in said working region.

Claim 25

In high powered laser apparatus the combination comprising: a. gas supply means for producing a flow of a gaseous medium having a predetermined velocity and pressure and an upper and lower laser state; b. means defining a cavity including a working region for receiving said medium from said gas supply means and through which said flow passes; c. first means for generating externally of said cavity a broad area electron beam having a cross sectional area conforming substantially to that of said working region, said means defining said cavity including walls for confining said medium, one of said walls including a diaphragm impervious to said medium and pervious to said electron beam; d. second means for introducing said electron beam into said cavity through said diaphragm forming a part of said one of said walls of said cavity and produce a substantially uniform spatial distribution of secondary electrons in said medium in said working region by ionizing said medium, said secondary electrons having an average energy insufficient to produce a population inversion in said medium; and e. third means for providing a sustainer field for controlling the electron temperature of said secondary electrons in said medium to substantially uniformly throughout said working region increase their average energy without substantially increasing the density thereof by self-regenerative ionization at said velocity and pressure and produce a population inversion in said medium in said working region.

Claim 26

The combination as defined in claim 20 wherein said third means includes means for generating a sustainer electric field in said cavity.

Claim 27

The combination as defined in claim 21 wherein said means for generating said sustainer electric field includes first and second electrode means in said cavity.

Claim 28

The combination as defined in claim 22 wherein said second electrode means is comprised of a perforate member and disposed in spaced relationship over said diaphragm.

Claim 29

The combination as defined in claim 23 wherein said working region includes means for passing a light beam through said working region.

Claim 30

The combination as defined in claim 23 wherein said cavity includes means defining an optical cavity in said working region.

Claim 31

The combination as defined in claim 25 and additionally including control means for actuating said second and third means in the pulsed mode.

Claim 32

The combination as defined in claim 25 and additionally including control means for actuating said second and third means in the continuous mode.

Claim 33

The combination as defined in claim 20 wherein said first means adds energy to said medium in an amount that is less than that of said third means.

Claim 34

The combination as defined in claim 20 and additionally including: a. A perforate plate member carried by said means defining said cavity and covered by said diaphragm, said diaphragm being disposed over said plate member and between it and said medium in said cavity.