On the nature of periodically pulsating radiation sources

TL;DR

This paper investigates the threshold behavior and pulse characteristics of maser sources with population inversion, explaining how energy loss and recovery mechanisms influence pulsating radiation, with implications for cosmic sources.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of the threshold and pulse dynamics in maser systems, considering energy loss and recovery mechanisms, and relates findings to cosmic pulsating radiation sources.

Findings

Threshold population inversion proportional to square root of atom number.

Pulse duration increases with inversion if energy loss is neglected.

Energy loss stabilizes pulse duration despite increasing inversion.

Abstract

A change in the character of maser generation in a two-level system is found when the initial population inversion exceeds some threshold value proportional to the square root of the total number of atoms. Above this threshold, the number of photons begins to grow exponentially with time and the pulse with short leading edge and broadened trailing edge is generated. In this work, we attempt to explain the nature of this threshold. Coherent pulse duration estimated by its half-width increases significantly with increasing inversion, if all other parameters are fixed and the absorption is neglected. The inclusion of the energy loss of photons leads to the fact that the duration of coherent pulse is almost constant with increasing inversion, at least well away from the threshold. If there is exist a recovery mechanism for the population inversion, the pulsating mode of stimulated emission generation becomes possible. The integral radiation intensity at this may be increased several times. This approach can be used for analysis of the cosmic radiation that might help explain a great variety of pulsating radiation sources in space.