Abstract
A detailed kinetic code of an HF chemical laser is used to evaluate the thermodynamic properties characterizing the laser as an irreversible heat engine. The time dependent thermodynamic analysis is demonstrated for two limiting cases of negligible and enhanced relaxation rates; especially rotational relaxation. The main finding is that the laser efficiency is appreciably larger in the second case, despite the irreversible energy losses by relaxation processes. This is due to the entropy increase of the heat bath which compensates for the entropy decrease of the lasing molecules.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 337-342 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| State | Published - 1979 |