Nuclear pumping of a neutral carbon laser

Nuclear pumped lasing on the neutral carbon line at 1.45 micron was achieved in mixtures of He-CO, He-N2-CO, He-CO2, and Ne-CO and Ne-CO2. A minimum thermal neutron flux of 2 x 10 to the 14th power sq cm-sec was sufficient for oscillation in the helium mixtures. The peak of the laser output was delayed up to 5.5 ms relative to the neutron pulse in He-CO2, He-N2-CO, Ne-CO, and Ne-CO2 mixtures while no delay was observed in He-CO mixtures. Lasing was obtained with helium pressures from 20 to 800 T, Ne pressures from 100 to 200 T, CO from 0.25 to 20 mT, N2 from 0.5 mT, and CO2 from 0.1 to 25 mT in the respective mixtures.