Catalytic enhancement of singlet oxygen for hybrid electric discharge oxygen-iodine laser systems

We are investigating catalytically enhanced production of singlet oxygen, O2(a1▵g), observed by reaction of O2/He discharge effluents on an iodine oxide film surface in a microwave discharge-flow reactor at 320 K. We have previously reported a two-fold increase in the O2(a) yields by this process, and corresponding enhancement of I(2P1/2) excitation and small-signal gain upon injection of I2. In this paper we report further observations of the effects of elevated temperature up to 410 K, and correlations of the catalytically generated O2(a) with atomic oxygen over a large range of discharge-flow conditions. We have applied a diffusion-limited reaction rate model to extrapolate the catalytic reaction rates to the highpressure, fast-flow conditions of the subsonic plenum of a supersonic EOIL test reactor. Using the model and the flow reactor results, we have designed and implemented a first-generation catalytic module for the PSI supersonic MIDJet/EOIL reactor. We describe preliminary tests with this module for catalyst coating deposition and enhancement of the small-signal gain observed in the supersonic flow. The observed catalytic effect could significantly benefit the development of high-power electrically driven oxygen-iodine laser systems.