This paper deals with experimental investigations of the effect of a rotating magnetic field on a diffusion cooled CO, laser discharge. Some properties relevant to laser activity are discussed, e.g. neutral gas temperature, magnetically driven gas rotation, pumping rate, and distribution of small signal gain within the discharge tube. By means of an intracavity method the radial distribution and the time behavior of the laser output power were measured.

Stochastically perturbed arcs are modelled by means of a &YR type differential equation, the thermal constant r being stochastically controlled by Gaussian fluctuations of given dispersion and correlation time: -= -(1 + 4). The &signals are taken from an electronic noise source by an appropriately equipped intelligent CAMAC crate, which further processes the whole simulation program.Special cases treated are 1. stationary (in the mean) arc, 2. freely decaying arc, and additionally, 3. thermal reignition of a decaying arc with stiff recovery voltage.

This paper deals with investigations of the spatial structure of the electrical potential, the current density, the gas temperature and the reduced electrical field strength in the discharge volume of a transverse gas flow C0,-laser in dependence on the geometry of the electrodes. The data were obtained by means of Langmuir double probes. The results are compared with optical measurements applying a probe laser resonator.