High-repetition-rate pulsed $\rm CO_2$ laser

The effect of weak shock waves produced during rapid delivery of energy to a pulsed, flow-through $\rm CO_2$ laser on its pulse repetition rate is theoretically examined. The effect of the accumulation of the energy dissipated by the shocks as they propagate along the flow is examined in the weak shock approximation. It is shown that the effect of these shocks may be neglected in the one-dimensional problem. Preliminary experimental results from a study of a $\rm CO_2$ laser with a pulse repetition rate of up to $100$ Hz are presented.