Explosively driven laser amplifier system

Claim 1

An explosively excited laser amplifier which comprises: a housing formed of radiation-transparent material in the shape of a hexahedron; a fluid-type laser amplifier cell supported coaxially within said housing; a radiation-absorbing fluid within said housing and surrounding said fluid-laser amplifier cell for absorbing visible and infrared radiation of wavelengths which are not effective in pumping said amplifier due to heating of fluid in said laser amplifier cell; a plurality of equally spaced, radially extending, pyramidally shaped, laser excitation lamps, each secured at its base end to one side of said hexagonal-shaped housing with the length and width of its base equal that of the length and width of the face of said housing to which it is secured, each of said pyramidal-shaped lamps having its apex end cut off and enclosed by an outer end surface; a liner of explosive material on the inner surface of the apex end of each of said radially extending, laser excitation lamps; a noble gaseous medium filling the volume of each of said pyramidal-shaped, laser excitation lamps between said housing and said liner of explosive material on the inner surface of the outer end thereof; and means for simultaneously detonating said liner of explosive material in each of said laser lamps.