All gas-phase iodine laser
Encyclopedia
All gas-phase iodine laser (AGIL) is a chemical laser
using gaseous iodine
as a lasing medium. Like the chemical oxygen iodine laser
(COIL), it operates at the 1.315 µm wavelength.
AGIL was developed in order to eliminate the problems with aqueous chemistry of the COILs. AGIL uses a reaction of chlorine
atoms with gaseous hydrazoic acid
, resulting in excited molecules of nitrogen chloride (3), which then pass their energy to the iodine atoms much like the singlet oxygen does in COIL. The iodine atoms then emit the laser radiation itself.
AGIL has numerous advantages over COIL. The chemicals are all in gaseous phase, therefore easier to work with than liquids, especially in microgravity conditions. The chemicals are also lighter, which is a significant advantage in aerospace applications.
Chemical laser
A chemical laser is a laser that obtains its energy from a chemical reaction. Chemical lasers can achieve continuous wave output with power reaching to megawatt levels...
using gaseous iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
as a lasing medium. Like the chemical oxygen iodine laser
Chemical oxygen iodine laser
Chemical oxygen iodine laser, or COIL, is an infrared chemical laser. As the beam is infrared, it cannot be seen with the naked eye. It is capable of output power scaling up to megawatts in continuous mode...
(COIL), it operates at the 1.315 µm wavelength.
AGIL was developed in order to eliminate the problems with aqueous chemistry of the COILs. AGIL uses a reaction of chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
atoms with gaseous hydrazoic acid
Hydrazoic acid
Hydrazoic acid, also known as hydrogen azide or azoimide, is a colorless, volatile, and extremely explosive liquid at room temperature and pressure. It is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen, having chemical formula HN3. It was first isolated in 1890 by Theodor Curtius...
, resulting in excited molecules of nitrogen chloride (3), which then pass their energy to the iodine atoms much like the singlet oxygen does in COIL. The iodine atoms then emit the laser radiation itself.
AGIL has numerous advantages over COIL. The chemicals are all in gaseous phase, therefore easier to work with than liquids, especially in microgravity conditions. The chemicals are also lighter, which is a significant advantage in aerospace applications.