Feasibility of construction of a chemical H2–Cl2 laser with a chain reaction mechanism

An isothermal model is used to show that in the presence of vibrationally excited hydrogen the chain chemical reaction Cl + H₂*→HCl + H, H + Cl₂→HCl + Cl can provide an efficient mechanism for pumping an H₂–Cl₂ laser. A chemical gasdynamic variant with thermal excitation of hydrogen should provide a laser radiation energy of 80–110 J/g at working mixture pressures of ~1–10 Torr in the resonator and 30–70 J/g at pressures an order of magnitude higher.