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A self‐consistent code has been utilized in modeling a discharge‐pumped XeCl laser. The electron energy distribution function (EEDF) has been calculated using a time‐dependent Boltzmann equation. The effects of the secondary electrons produced by ionization on EEDF, rate coefficients, species densities, laser energy, and breakdown delay time have been examined by comparing different models in a wide range of discharge parameters. Efforts have been made at explaining the discrepancy in the breakdown delay time between simulation and experiment. It is found that the secondary electrons due to ionization play an important role in determining the breakdown delay time. Furthermore, the measured breakdown delay time can be well reproduced using the model presented in this work instead of increasing the total excitation cross sections of xenon.

The nonstationarity of electron energy distribution function (EEDF) has been studied for a discharge‐pumped XeCl laser, where a self‐consistent model is considered. The energy relaxation time has been observed by solving a time‐dependent Boltzmann equation. The importance of a nonstationary treatment in determining EEDF, electron average energy, electron‐impact rate coefficients, and species densities has been discussed. It has been found that a pronounced nonstationarity is likely to occur at a relatively low electric field (< 2 Td). The quasi‐stationary treatment tends to underestimate the electron average energy and some electron‐impact rate coefficients around the inversion points of the discharge voltage. Electron–electron collisions induce a strong nonstationarity when the electron density exceeds a certain value. The electron‐impact rate coefficients selected by neglecting the nonstationarity result in an incorrect determination of species densities.