Computation of inviscid/viscous flowfield in pulsed lasers

This paper deals with 2-D flow and acoustic analysis in a pulsed laser system. The analysis method utilizes numerical solutions of the 2-D Euler/Navier-Stokes equations in the laser flow channel and 1-D Euler equations in the sidewall muffler volume with closely spaced baffles. Several comparative studies with experiments have been performed to establish the validity of the approach. Idealized laser related problems have been computed to demonstrate the influence of sidewall muffler parameters on the transverse wave decay process in a laser cavity. An assessment of viscous effects on the cavity flow and acoustic clearing is also presented. 18 references.