Spatially Homogeneous Modelling of a Stabilized XeCl* Laser Discharge

Recently an improved technique to create a stable and homogeneous discharge for pumping excimer laser plasmas has been proposed in [1]. This technique is based on the additional use of a stabilizing low‐current preliminary discharge. For the study of such laser discharges a self‐consistent spatially homogeneous model with the inclusion of the time‐dependent Boltzmann equation for the electrons, of the rate equation system arising from the heavy particle and photon kinetics and of the electrical circuit equations has been employed. A brief presentation of important features of the comprehensive model is given. An iterative procedure to solve self‐consistently the system of kinetic, rate and circuit equations has been generalized and applied to discharge conditions where a dominant electron‐electron interaction occurs. Model calculations have been performed for typical XeCl* laser plasmas which operate according to the improved discharge technique. On this basis a detailed analysis of main features of this laser discharge is given and the impact of various parameters on significant characteristics of the discharge is calculated and discussed.