Discharge characteristics of a waveguide $CO_2$ laser enclosed in a tube made of a metal with a highly reflecting coating

A study was made of the characteristics of a gas discharge in waveguide $CO_2$-laser tubes made either of a ceramic material or of a metal with a highly reflecting coating. The dependences of the parameter $E/p$ on the pump current density were determined experimentally for an active medium which was chosen so as to achieve the maximum radiation power. The dependences of the normalized (to the current density at a given temperature) electric field on the pump (discharge) current density were also obtained.