STIMULATED EMISSION OF GAMMA RADIATION
Richard V. Babcock, Stanley L. Ruby, Laurence Mark Epstein
The feasibility of an experimental demonstration of stimulated emission of gamma radiation is examined. Theoretical principles are discussed, and a model described from which the results of stimulated emission experiments can be predicted. Two general types of experiments are selected as most feasible for the demonstration, and the results of these experiments are predicted for those known isomeric nuclear systems that appeared most promising, and also for an ideal nuclear system. It is concluded that for an ideal nucleus the emission rate of stimulated photons could not exceed 10/sup -5/ of the spontaneous photon emission rate. For the most favorable nuclear system found, the predicted increase in emission rate is only 3 x 10/sup -9/. The observation of such small effects appears thoroughly impractical, either now or in the foreseeable future. The observation of other effects of stimulated emission, such as the detection of paired photons in time coincidence, appears equally difficult. (auth)
•Dec 1, 1963•0 citations