Efficient generation in a chemical oxygen-iodine laser with a low buffer-gas flow rate

The efficient generation in a chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) with a low buffer-gas flow rate for Mach numbers M less than or equal to 1 is demonstrated. The maximum output power of the COIL was 415 W for a molecular chlorine flow rate of 20 mmol s(-1), which corresponds to a chemical efficiency eta(ch) = 23%. It is shown that the substitution of the buffer gas CO2 for N-2 does not cause any significant variation in the dependence of the output power on the degree of dilution of the active medium.