Corona discharge laser

Claim 1

In a laser apparatus, the combination comprising: a. gas supply means for producing subsonic flow of a lasable gaseous working medium having a predetermined velocity and pressure; b. first means defining an elongated working region having a longitudinal axis and which includes top and bottom nonconducting side walls, a portion of said side walls being contoured to provide an elongated entrance nozzle parallel to said longitudinal axis, said nozzle receiving said subsonic flow of gas in a direction normal to and extending along the length of saiD axis and through which said flow passes to said working region; c. second means including first and second electrode means for producing a continuous corona discharge disposed along said longitudinal axis and having direction normal to both the said flow direction and said axis of the working region for ionizing said gas to produce a population inversion in said gas during flow through said working region, said first and second electrode means being oppositely disposed adjacent to said nozzle and communicating with the interior of said working region, said first electrode comprising a solid conducting plate being contoured to the shape of said nozzle, said second electrode means comprising a plurality of electrically conducting wire-like projections extending into said gas flow in said working region, said projections being disposed along substantially the length of said logitudinal axis spaced one from another, said spacing being small as compared to the smallest dimension of said working region disposed along said longitudinal axis, the ends of said projections having a radii of curvature small compared to the spacing between said projections in order to achieve spatial separation and thereby assist in stabilizing said discharge, said projections extending a predetermined distance into the flow in order to achieve turbulent wake and thereby assist in further stabilizing said discharge; d. third means comprising resistors in circuit with each projection to ballast and thereby further assist in stabilizing said discharge; and e. fourth means for exhausting said gaseous working medium to the atmosphere.