Abstract

The physical basis of a nuclear-pumped laser (NPL) operation is a fundamental phenomenon—the excitation and relaxation of nuclear-induced plasmas. Nuclear-induced plasmas is the state of matter that arises when charged products of nuclear reactions are stopped in matter and simulate the ionization and excitation of its atoms. The most important feature of such plasmas is its recombination nonequilibrium which virtually means that stopping of nuclear reaction products forms practically “ready" laser active medium in a matter. Thus it is possible to say that NPL is a device that produces a direct conversion of nuclear energy into energy of laser radiation.

© 1994 IEEE