Abstract

Use of spark arrays situated along the length of the main discharge electrodes is an attractive method for preionizing the main discharge volume of transversely excited atmospheric pressure CO₂ (TEA-CO₂) lasers ⁽¹⁾. In this preionization scheme, some series ballasting elements i.e., capacitors, resistors or inductors are required to distribute the preionization energy uniformly among all the spark pins. Ideally, capacitors are best suited for this purpose as they do not limit the peak current through the spark channels, but they suffer from the disadvantage of limited life span. Though, inductors and resistors also can be used for this purpose but they limit the peak current through the sparks and hence reduce the effectiveness of preionization.

© 1998 IEEE