Abstract: The subject matter of the invention is a process for bending a component, e.g. a metal sheet (1) by means of a mechanical force with selective heating by means of a laser beam (6). From one laser beam (6) or several laser beams (6) a radiation field (7, 21) is shaped to form a linear heating zone (9) and at all points along a bend line (8) acts upon the component.

Abstract: A device for executing a scalar multiplication of vectors is constructed in the form of an interferometric adder for residue numbers. A plurality of series-connected, vector-component-controlled phase modulators are disposed in each of the phase-modulatable light beams existing for such adder. A phase modulator is provided for each component of a vector, and which generates a phase shift as a function of the components of the vectors to be multiplied which are supplied to it. This phase shift is proportional both to the component of the one as well as to the component of the other vector. The phase shift generated by each component amounts to 2.pi. when the numerical value of the component is divisible by the corresponding module without remainder. The result of the scalar multiplication is derivable as a positionally notated number from the interference pattern or interference patterns produced after the radiation through the phase modulators.

Abstract: An arrangement for the current limitation during the current supply of electrically excited gas lasers includes a rotary current transformer, self-inductances provided in front of a rotary current bridge rectifier, and a capacitor, if desired. In each phase conductor an inductance is provided between the secondary side of the rotary current transformer preferably working at power frequency and the rotary current bridge rectifier.

Abstract: A transversely electrically excited atmospheric pressure gas laser working in a pulsed mode (TEA laser) includes a cooled working gas conducted in circulation, a cooled cathode, an anode arranged at a distance from the cathode, and an open-worked auxiliary electrode arranged therebetween. The cooled cathode is designed as a metallic conducting, elongated cathode plate extending in the direction of the optical axis and the auxiliary electrode is arranged parallel to the cathode in the cathode drop region, in order to produce a glow skin covering the entire cathode.