Observations of gain by stimulated emission in the Werner band of molecular hydrogen

Stimulated emission of vacuum ultraviolet radiation has been observed on two Q1 lines in the Werner band ($C^1{\Pi }_u\to X^1{{\Sigma }_g}^{+}$) of molecular hydrogen. These lines, 1161 and 1230 \AA{}, contain 5 kW peak power and were produced by a traveling-wave discharge system. Using this excitation principle, evidence of gain has been obtained by observations of optimum velocity matching at pulse velocities less than c.