The interaction between electrical discharges and gas flow

摘要

The limitations of high‐power electrical lasers due to heating of the gas and the instability of the glow discharge can be alleviated by the flow of the lasing medium. We describe here the results of two experiments which combine glow discharges with gas flow. In the first experiment we study the effects of supersonic flow and shock waves on glow discharges. The results of some numerical calculations of the variation of the gas properties along the discharge tube are then described. In the second experiment the influence of a highly swirled and turbulent flow on electrical discharges is studied. It is observed that both flows have a favorable effect on the discharge stability.