Multifunctional imaging system based on a laser and a brightness amplifier on copper bromide vapors

Annotation: A multifunctional system meant to image the surface of energet-ic materials during combustion based on copper bromide vapor gain media is proposed. The system allows quickly implement various methods of active visualization and is based on a high-speed video camera, an illuminating laser, and a copper bromide vapor brightness amplifier. Depending on imaging needs, the main components of the system can be configured as a laser-illuminating system, a single-channel laser monitor, or a laser monitor with synchronous laser illumination. A high-voltage pulsed power supply allows connecting both one laser tube and two at the same time, while switching operating modes can be carried out on-the-fly. The source generates one or two syn-chronized sequences of high-voltage pulses for pumping gas-discharge tubes with a voltage of up to 6 kV and a frequency of 20 kHz. Due to the use of gas discharge tubes with independent control of temperature parameters, the operating modes with a pump power of 500–700 W for each channel can be realized. To generate pump pulses for laser media, a two-channel thyra-tron circuit for the direct discharge of storage capacitors were used, charged by a common stabilized voltage source provided by a step-down pulse stabilizer and a pulse shaper for charging storage capacitors based on a bridge inverter. A transistor mod-ulator with adjustable delay lines carries out synchronization of the laser illumination and the brightness amplifier in the mode with synchronous laser illumination with an accuracy of ±1 ns. The experimental data of the system operation in various modes are presented. The imaging results for the surface of mixtures of metal nanopowders during combustion, obtained with various configurations of the laser system, are presented.

Keywords: high-speed imaging, laser monitoring, pulsed laser illumination, high-temperature combustion, high-voltage power supply, syn-chronization