Status of the research for nuclear-pumped lasers in IPPE

Abstract

The conception of a high power laser system based on new physical principles (direct nuclear-to-optical conversion) has been proposed in the Institute for Physics & Power Engineering (Russia, Obninsk). Energy model of system mentioned above is constructed at IPPE. It consists of a thermal subcritical (in neutron aspect) laser module (LM) controlled by the neutron flux from a two-core fast burst reactor. The laser module is designed as a cylindrical structure with a longitudinal cavity for two cores of the pulse reactor and reactivity modulator and consists of the laser active elements (LAEL) with U-235, imitators of LAEL and neutron moderator elements. The laser active element is filled with an Ar-Xe or He-Ar-Xe laser active medium. The flanks of the laser-active elements are manufactured from an optically transparent material and provide the input and output of the laser beam. Generation of the laser irradiation was produced on the transitions with the wavelengths 1.73 and 2.03 m. This paper is devoted to the analysis of the preliminary neutron and laser experimental results received durmg the energy start-up of the system. The main neutron and laser parameters were measured by using special elaborated methods. Comparative analysis for computed and experimental neutron data is performed. Approaches to the increase of output laser energy of a reactor-pumped laser system are also discussed.