Toward understanding the dissociation of I2 in chemical oxygen-iodine lasers: Combined experimental and theoretical studies

The dissociation of I2 molecules at the optical axis of a supersonic chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) was studied via detailed measurements and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics calculations. The measurements, briefly reported in a recent paper [Rybalkin, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 021115 (2006)] and reanalyzed in detail here, revealed that the number N of consumed O2 (a Δg1) molecules per dissociated I2 molecule depends on the experimental conditions: it is 4.5±0.4 for typical conditions and I2 densities applied for optimal operation of the COIL but increases at lower I2 densities. Comparing the measurements and the calculations enabled critical examination of previously proposed dissociation mechanisms and suggestion of a mechanism consistent with the experimental and theoretical results obtained in a supersonic COIL for the gain, temperature, I2 dissociation fraction, and N at the optical axis. The suggested mechanism combines the recent scheme of Azyazov and Heaven [AIAA J. 44, 1593 (2006)], where I2 (A′ Π 2u 3), I2 (A Π 1u 3), and O2 (a Δg1, v) are significant dissociation intermediates, with the "standard" chain branching mechanism of Heidner III [J. Phys. Chem. 87, 2348 (1983)], involving I (P 12 2) and I2 (X g+1, v).