Kinetic Model of a Space-Based, Br Laser Pumped by Solar Photolysis of Ibr

A kinetic model of the directly solar-pumped, atomic bromine laser--operating on the Br (4 2 P1/2.... 2 P 3/2) transition under IBr photolysis--was developed, executed, and interpreted. In recognition of an evolving national interest in space-based laser development, the model presumed operation on a space station platform. Mathematical representations for such processes as incident solar flux, molecular photolysis, and quantum yield were combined with those for chemical reactions and lasant flow in a set of nonlinear differential equations designed to model temporal behavior of chemical and photon populations within the gain cell. Numerical solutions to these equations indicate that a well-engineered IBr laser is capable of generating 1.2 kilowatts of continuous-wave (CW) power under a pumping concentration of 20,000 solar units.