CONTENTS
1. Introduction 703
2. General requirements for laser media using solar excitation 704
3. Lasers with direct excitation by solar light 705
3.1. Basic characteristics of laser media.
3.2. Photodissociation Br₂–CO₂ lasers.
3.3. Interhalogen molecule lasers.
3.4. Iodine lasers. 3.5. Alkali metal vapor lasers.
4. Lasers with thermal conversion of solar pumping 709
4.1. General considerations.
4.2. CO₂ laser with excitation in a black body cavity and with gas flow.
4.3. cw CO₂laser without gas flow.
5. Space laser media with solar excitation 713
5.1. Population inversion of molecular levels in the outer atmosphere of the Earth.
5.2. Laser effect in the atmospheres of Venus and Mars.
5.3. Terrestrial experimental technique for observing infrared emission in the atmospheres of planets.
5.4. Designs for laser systems in the atmospheres of Venus and Mars.
6. Conclusions 717
References 717