Claims
- 1. A system for inhibiting quenching of a laser beam following a nuclear radiation event, said laser beam propagating along a laser path of a laser, said system comprising:
- current control means connected to said laser for controlling discharge current conducting along said laser path; and
- radiation sensing means connected to said current control means including
- (i) nuclear radiation sensing means for sensing a nuclear radiation event and
- (ii) current control altering means for affecting said current control means for a predetermined amount of time following said nuclear radiation event and causing said discharge current to be maintained for said predetermined amount of time above a value, below which quenching of said laser beam will occur.
- 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said current control altering means comprises time delay means for connecting a reference to said current control means in response to said radiation event and for removing said reference from said current control means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said time delay means comprises capacitive means and radiation responsive switch means being connected between said reference and said current control means such that said radiation responsive switch means connects said reference to said current control means during a radiation event and said capacitive means removes said reference from said current control means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said current control means comprises current sensing means for providing a discharge current signal representative of said discharge current, reference means for providing a first reference, and comparison means connected to said current sensing means and to said reference means for comparing said discharge current signal to said first reference and for controlling said discharge current in response to said discharge current signal being compared to said first reference.
- 5. The system of claim 4 wherein said current control altering means comprises time delay means for connecting a second reference to said comparison means in response to said radiation event such that said comparison means compares said second reference, instead of said first reference, to said discharge current signal and for removing said second reference from said comparison means after a predetermined time delay following a radiation event to allow said first reference to increasingly assume control of said discharge current during said time delay.
- 6. The system of claim 5 wherein said time delay means comprises capacitive means and radiation responsive switch means being connected between said second reference and said comparison means such that said radiation responsive switch means connects said second reference to said comparison means during a radiation event and said capacitive means removes said second reference from said comparison means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 7. The system of claim 4 wherein said comparison means comprises a comparator connected to said current sensing means and to said reference means for comparing said discharge current signal to said first reference and a current control element connected to said comparator, said current control element being connected in a series circuit with said current sensing means, said series circuit being connected to said laser for controlling said discharge current in response to said discharge current signal being compared to said first reference.
- 8. The system of claim 7 wherein said current control altering means comprises time delay means for connecting a second reference to said comparator in response to said radiation event such that said comparator compares said second reference, instead of said first reference, to said discharge current signal and for removing said second reference from said comparator after a predetermined time delay following a radiation event to allow said first reference to increasingly assume control of said discharge current during said time delay.
- 9. The system of claim 8 wherein said time delay means comprises capacitive means and radiation responsive switch means being connected between said second reference and said comparator such that said radiation responsive switch means connects said second reference to said comparator during a radiation event and said capacitive means removes said second reference from said comparator after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 10. A system for inhibiting quenching of a laser beam, established along a laser path in a ring laser gyro, following a nuclear radiation event, said ring laser gyro having at least first and second electrodes for receiving electrical power to provide a discharge current between said first and second electrodes along said laser path, said system comprising:
- current control means connected to at least one of said electrodes of said ring laser gyro for controlling said discharge current conducting along said laser path between said first and second electrodes; and radiation sensing means connected to said current control means including,
- (i) nuclear radiation sensing means for sensing a nuclear radiation event, and
- (ii) current control altering means for affecting said current control means for a predetermined amount of time following said nuclear radiation event and causing said discharge current to be maintained for said predetermined amount of time above a value, below which quenching of said laser beam will occur.
- 11. The system of claim 10 wherein said current control altering means comprises time delay means for connecting a reference to said current control means in response to said radiation event and for removing said reference from said current control means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 12. The system of claim 11 wherein said time delay means comprises capacitive means and radiation responsive switch means being connected between said reference and said current control means such that said radiation responsive switch means connects said reference to said current control means during a radiation event and said capacitive means removes said reference from said current control means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 13. The system of claim 10 wherein said current control means comprises current sensing means for providing a discharge current signal representative of said discharge current, reference means for providing a first reference, and comparison means connected to said current sensing means and to said reference means for comparing said discharge current signal to said first reference and for controlling said discharge current in response to said discharge signal being compared to said first reference.
- 14. The system of claim 13 wherein said current control altering means comprises time delay means for connecting a second reference to said comparison means in response to said radiation event such that said comparison means compares said second reference, instead of said first reference, to said discharge current signal and for removing said second reference from said comparison means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event to allow said first reference to increasingly assume control of said discharge current during said time delay.
- 15. The system of claim 14 wherein said time delay means comprises capacitive means and radiation responsive switch means being connected between said second reference and said comparison means such that said radiation responsive switch means connects said second reference to said comparison means during a radiation event and said capacitive means removes said second reference from said comparison means after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 16. The system of claim 13 wherein said comparison means comprises a comparator connected to said current sensing means and to said reference means for comparing said discharge current signal to said first reference and a current control element connected to said comparator, said current control element being connected in a series circuit with said current sensing means, said series circuit being connected to said at least one of said electrodes of said ring laser gyro for controlling said discharge current in response to said discharge current signal being compared to said first reference.
- 17. The system of claim 16 wherein said current control altering means comprises time delay means for connecting a second reference to said comparator in response to said radiation event such that said comparator compares said second reference, instead of said first reference, to said discharge current signal and for removing said second reference from said comparator after a predetermined time delay following a radiation event to allow said first reference to increasingly assume control of said discharge current during said time delay.
- 18. The system of claim 17 wherein said time delay means comprises capacitive means and radiation responsive switch means being connected between said second reference and said comparator such that said radiation responsive switch means connects said second reference to said comparator during a radiation event and said capacitive means removes said radiation second from said comparator after a predetermined time delay following said radiation event.
- 19. The system of claim 18 wherein said current-sensing means comprises resistor means having at least one resistor and said comparator comprises an integrator.
- 20. An arrangement for inhibiting quenching of a laser beam following a nuclear radiation event comprising:
- laser means having a laser path for supporting a laser beam propagating therealong, said laser means further having first and second electrodes, said first and second electrodes, when energized, causing a discharge current to conduct along said laser path in order to produce said laser beam; and
- control means connected to at least one of said electrodes for controlling said discharge current conducting along said laser path, and said control means including,
- (i) nuclear radiation sensing means for sensing a nuclear radiation event, and
- (ii) means for causing said discharge current to be maintained for a predetermined amount of time following said radiation event above a value, below which quenching of said laser beam will occur.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 07/697,815, filed May 9, 1991 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4652132 |
Nelson |
Apr 1987 |
|
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
697815 |
May 1991 |
|