Formation of the active medium of a chemical IR laser during the combustion of low-dispersion metal particles in an oxidizer

The formation of the active medium of a chemical IR laser excited by an exploding wire in an oxidizer atmosphere is studied experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the active-medium formation is due to the rapid atomization of liquid-metal droplets and jets in the explosion process and their subsequent combustion in the oxidizer. Theoretical results are presented on population inversion and amplification of IR radiation during the combustion of liquid-fuel droplets in an oxidizer atmosphere.