Mutual influence of the gas-discharge conditions in a thyratron and in the active element of a metal-vapor laser

The effectiveness of pulsed-periodic excitation of a metal-vapor laser is investigated experimentally as a function of the relative conditions in the gas-discharge gaps of the commutator and the gas-discharge tube (GDT) of the laser. It is found that, with increase in hydrogen pressure in a commutator operating on the left-hand side of the Paschen curve, the pulsed generation energy of the laser is mainly determined by the buffer-gas pressure in the GDT, other conditions being equal; with decrease in the gas pressure in the GDT, it is determined by the hydrogen pressure in the commutator. It is concluded that, other conditions being equal, the effectiveness of such lasers is mainly determined by the relative conditions in the gas-discharge gaps of the commutator and in the GDT and also by the ratio of the reactive, active, and time parameters in all cells of the shaping line when a line with nonlinear magnetic compression cells is used. The energy balance of the pumping system with the line is analyzed from the viewpoint of optimizing the pumping efficiency of metal-vapor lasers.