Electron spectroscopy of autoionizing states of oxygen,chlorine and bromine atoms

The autoionizing atomic states are obtained in dissociation Of O₂, Cl₂ and Br₂ molecules excited by either fast neutral He atoms (O₂) or by photons with 21.217 eV energy (Cl₂, and Br₂). Tentative assignment of the autoionizing levels is given for Cl* and for Br* atoms, and a more detailed one for O* atoms.     

Postcollision interaction upon electron excitation of the 5sns 1 S 0 and 5snd 3 D j levels of the cadmium atom

The optical excitation functions (OEFs) for two series of spectral lines of the Cd atom originating from the 5sns ¹ S ₀ (n = 6?11) and 5snd ³ D _{1, 2, 3} (n = 5 and 6) levels excited by an ultramonoenergetic (ΔE _1/2 < 0.05 eV) electron beam with energies exceeding the single ionization threshold are presented. In the energy range from 10.8 to 12.9 eV, the energy dependences of the excitation cross sections of the studied spectral transitions exhibit the effect of postcollision interaction of slow scattered and fast emitted electrons. This process leads to an additional population of the initial levels of the spectral transitions due to the capture of a scattered electron into an excited atomic level. The energies and widths of the electronic decay of autoionizing states are estimated in the classical approach by two methods, namely, by the least squares method and by direct calculation. Calculations are performed using approximate formulas valid for different relations between the postcollision shifts of the OEF maxima and the binding energies of the atomic levels. The terms of the autoionizing atomic states responsible for the maxima observed in the OEFs of the spectral transitions are determined.     

Narrow 3-photon autoionizing resonances in Tl and Yb

Narrow autoionizing resonances have been observed in Yb and Tl using direct 3-photon excitation of ground state atoms. The linewidth is 0.9 cm^-1 in Yb and 0.4 cm^-1 in Tl. Autoionizing levels in both atoms correspond to doubly excited electronic states. This is the first observation of such states in Tl.     

Autoionization cross section of potassium atom excited by electron impact

The autoionization cross section of potassium atoms excited by electron impact is measured in the energy range from the first autoionization threshold at 18.72 eV to 202 eV. The data are obtained by deter-mining the total intensity of electron spectra resulting from the decay of the 3p ⁵ n ₁ l ₁ n ₂ l ₂ autoionizing states. The cross section has two maxima, 1.8 × 10^?16 and 2.2 × 10^?16 cm², at 21 and 32 eV, respectively. The excitation dynamics of autoionization states suggests that the first maximum is associated with the resonance character of the near-threshold excitation. The second maximum, as well as the behavior of the cross section at energies above 50 eV, reflects the dynamics of electron excitation of quartet and doublet autoionizing states. The measured autoionization cross section is compared with known data for the total single ionization cross section of potassium atom by electron impact. The relative contribution of the autoionization cross section to the total single ionization cross section is found to reach 30% at 32 eV.     

Ba原子6pnd(J=1, 3)自电离光谱的实验研究

采用三台可调谐激光实施孤立实激发,分三步将处于基态的Ba原子激发到6p_1/2nd(J=1,3)和6p_3/2nd(J=1,3)自电离态上,获得了分别从6snd¹D₂(n=7—15)和6snd³D₂(n=7—12) 激发而得到的6p_1/2nd(J=1,3)和6p_3/2nd (J=1,3)自电离光谱,重点对主量子数n较低的自电离态进行了实验研究. 通过光谱的线形拟合得到了上述能级的位置和宽度等数据,进而获得了量子亏损和约化宽度等信息. 通过对不同系列的自电离光谱的分析和比较,详细讨论了这些自电离态的光谱特征及其复杂光谱结构的成因. 关键词： 孤立实激发 组态相互作用 自电离态     

The Influence of Admixtures of Molecular Gases on the Efficiency of Radiation Production by Ar?Hg Mixture Plasmas used in Fluorescent Lamps

Starting from former investigations of pure Ar? Hg mixture plasmas in parameter ranges typical of fluorescent lamps we studied the influence of additional admixtures of molecular gases (N₂, H₂) on the energy transfer from the electrons heated by an electric field to the lowest excited states of Hg atoms which are the energy source for the resonance radiation production. By calculation of the different power loss rates via solving the appropriate Boltzmann equation for three component mixture plasmas it was found that already a threshold level of molecular impurities of about 10^?4 Torr leads to a marked energy dissipation by the impurities and thus to a pronounced reduction of the efficiency of the resonance radiation production. This is caused by the great effectivity of vibrational excitation of molecules in electron collisions due to the great cross sections for such collisions and their low thresholds.     

The thermionic double-diode,an efficient detector in excited state laser spectroscopy

We are describing the thermionic double-diode which is a suitable instrument for excited state laser spectroscopy. In comparison to the optogalvanic technique the signal-to-noise ratio was found to be 10²?10³ times better, investigating transitions between excited Sr or Ba states. Combined with its high detection sensitivity the thermionic double-diode presents the possibility of investigating transitions between high angular momentum states. It is demonstrated by studying transitions between Rydberg levels and doubly-excited autoionizing states in Ba. Further advantages are (i) the small strength of the dc electric field and the low electron density in the laser excitation region of the double-diode commending itself for studies of Doppler-free transitions to highly excited states and (ii) the very stable working conditions allowing to vary the pressure and current conditions in the diode in a much wider range than in a discharge.     

The study of autoionizing states of the samarium atom

The investigation of the samarium (Sm) atom autoionizing states, belonging to the 4f⁶ 6pnl and 4f⁵ 5d6snl (l=0, 2) configurations, has been carried out by using a three-step isolated-core-excitation (ICE) scheme. Fifty-seven new autoionizing states of the Sm atom have been observed in the energy region between 60,700 and 66,500 cm^?1. These autoionizing states are classified into five autoionization series in the light of different ionization limits. In most cases, the transition profiles of these autoionizing states are nearly symmetric, from which the peak positions and widths can be easily obtained by Lorentzian-profile-fitting procedure. Some autoionizing states have multi-peak profiles whose spectroscopic properties are analyzed in order to understand the complicated structures.     

On resonance processes in near-threshold excitation of the resonance lines of a Zn+ ion in electron-ion collisions

The excitation of the components of the 4p ² P ₁ ^2,3/2/0 resonance doublet of the Zn⁺ ion by monoenergetic electrons in the interval 4–10 eV is investigated by a spectroscopic method in crossed beams. Resonances are found in the energy dependences below and above the excitation thresholds of resonance lines. The subthreshold resonances are satellite of the lines investigated and are excited in the process of dielectronic recombination. The main competing process here is the electronic decay of autoionizing states, which is manifested in a resonance excitation of the ions starting at the thresholds for the excitation of the levels. Autoionizing states lying between the levels of the doublet splitting of the 4p ² P ₁ ^2,3/2/0 state decay to the 4p ² P ₁ ^2/0 level in a Koster-Kronig process. Above the excitation energy of the 4p ² P ₃ ^2/0 level the the dominant contribution to resonance excitation is from autoionizing states with configurations 3d ⁹(² D _5/2,3/2)4s ² np,(n−1)f. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 8, 614–617 (25 October 1998)     

Variational Calculation of Energies of Highly Excited Rovibrational States of CO2

Accurate variational calculations of energies of highly excited rovibrational states of ¹²C¹⁶O₂ using a Lanczos recursion are presented. In a first step, we use experimental rovibrational transition frequencies to determine by a least-square fitting procedure a potential energy surface for the CO₂ molecule. This potential energy surface is expressed as a multidimensional power series expansion in the normal coordinates. It is then used to determine all the rovibrational energies for symmetry e levels up to a rotational number J=200, a vibrational energy of 13 000 cm⁻¹, and a vibrational angular momentum l=13.     

Multiphoton mass spectra of Xe2 molecules in the range of excited Xe*(6p, 5d) atoms

The (2 + 1) photoionization mass spectra of Xe₂ molecules are studied in a supersonic jet upon excitation by laser radiation in the energy range 80321.3–77821 cm^?1, corresponding to the dissociation of the Xe₂ molecule into atoms Xe(¹ S ₀) + Xe*(6p, 5d). Several vibrational progressions are observed, which are attributed to two-photon transitions of Xe₂ from the ground state to the excited states of the O ⁺ _g, 1_g, and 2_g symmetries. Based on the analysis of these progressions, the molecular constants of a number of excited states of Xe₂ are estimated.     

Photoionization cross sections of Fe XXI

Total and partial photoionization cross sections for (Fe XXI+hν→Fe XXII+e) are presented for the ground and excited bound states with n?10 and l?9. Fe XXI is prevalent in high-temperature astrophysical plasmas as well as in photoionized plasmas excited by hard X-rays. Results are reported for the first time for the high-energy photoionization with core excitations to n=2,3 states. Details of photoionization, especially the high-energy features that often dominate considerably over the low energy ones, are illustrated. These prominent features will affect the photoionization and the recombination rates in high-temperature plasmas. Calculations are carried out in the close coupling (CC) approximation using the R-matrix method. A large CC wavefunction expansion for Fe XXII which includes the ground and 28 excited core states from n=2 and 3 complexes and spans over a wide energy range is used. A total of 835 discrete bound states of Fe XXI in the singlet, triplet, and quintet symmetries are obtained. Total photoionization cross sections, σ_PI(nLS), for ionization into all 29 states are presented for all 835 final bound states and partial photoionization cross sections, σ_PI(g,nLS), for ionization into the ground ²P⁰ state of the core are presented for 685 states. While the n=2 core excitations are at relatively lower energy range (within 15 Ry from the ionization threshold), the n=3 excitations lie at considerably higher energy, 73 Ry and above, yet introduce resonant features and enhancements more prominent than those of n=2 states. Larger numbers of resonances are formed due to Rydberg series of autoionizing states converging on to the 29 core states. However, most noticeable structures are formed in the excited state cross sections by the photoexcitation-of-core (PEC) resonances in the photon energy range of 73-82 Ry. All these high-energy features are absent in the currently available results. The present results should enable more accurate modeling of the emission spectrum of highly excited plasma from the optical to far-ultraviolet region.     

Reactions of excited atoms and molecules with atoms and molecules

Ionizing collisions of long lived excited particles with atoms and molecules are studied by a cross beam technique. For the first time reactions of atoms in high Rydberg states are included in the investigation. In this paper we report relative cross sections for the production of the ions RH⁺, RH ₂ ⁺ , and H ₂ ⁺ by collisions of excited rare gas atoms R^* with H₂. With HD as the target molecule the isotope effect for the production of RD⁺ and RH⁺ has been determined. In the case of argon and krypton, ions are produced only by the high Rydberg states, whereas in the case of helium and neon only the metastable states contribute to a measurable extent. The data indicate, that the reaction mechanism is different in principle for metastable and highly excited atoms. Simple models are proposed to explain the experimental results.     

The quenching of Pb(6p 2 1 D 2) atoms in collisions with molecules

The collisions of metastable Pb(6p ^{2 1} D ₂) atoms with various molecules were studied by the diagnostics of radiation from a hollow cathode lamp and a laser on lead vapor. Experiments were performed for a gas flow of lead atoms with argon. The Pb(6p ^{2 1} D ₂) states were excited in a gas discharge in the presence of reagent gas molecules. The absolute rate constants for the quenching and chemical reactions of lead atoms in the ground and excited states were determined. The quantum efficiency of chemical reactions was close to one for the N₂O, CH₂Cl₂, SF₆, and CuBr molecules. Long-lived chemical compounds were formed in these reactions.     

Excitation and quenching of ultraviolet nitrogen bands in the mixture of N2 and O2 molecules

Total quenching rate coefficients of three singlet and three triplet states of molecular nitrogen in the collisions with O₂ molecules are calculated on the basis of quantum-chemical approximations. The calculated rate coefficients of electronic quenching of N₂^? molecules are compared with the available experimental data. An influence of collisional processes on vibrational populations of electronically excited N₂(a¹Π_g) and N₂(A³Σ_u⁺) molecules is studied for conditions of laboratory discharge in N₂ and O₂ at admixtures of molecular oxygen 0%-20% for the pressures 1-1000 Pa. It is indicated that molecular collisions cause changes in relative populations of vibrational levels of these states and intensity relations of ultraviolet bands of N₂ with rise in the pressure and the O₂ admixture.     

On the gamma decay of analogue resonances in the58Fe(p, γ)59Co reaction

The spectrum of the delayed light radiation from a pulsed corona discharge in pure argon was investigated in cylindrical geometry. The band-like structure near 309 nm can be attributed to molecular transitions in the OH-radical of the typeA ² Σ ⁺ ?X ² Π(0?0). The weak bands at 337 nm and 357 nm originate from transitions in the N₂ molecule. The molecular states of OH and N₂ are excited by collisions of³P₂-metastable argon atoms (formed in the gas discharge) with H₂O and N₂ molecules present as small impurities. The pressure dependence of the time constant (some 100 μs) of the afterglow is discussed.     

Collision-induced amplification of short-wave radiation on transitions to the ground state of atoms

A new version of obtaining short-wave lasing on transition between highly excited states and the ground state of active atoms in the buffer gas atmosphere is studied theoretically. The mechanism of obtaining population inversion on such a transition is associated with the establishment of the local Boltzmann distribution of populations in a group of highly excited levels due to frequent collisions. If the excitation of the upper-lying level is performed by two laser radiation sources with frequencies ω₁ and ω₂, short-wave lasing can be obtained at a frequency close to the total frequency ω₁ + ω₂. The conditions for the emergence of population inversion are analyzed and simple analytic formulas are derived. It is shown that collision-induced enhancement of short-wave radiation can occur for pumping intensities on the order of 100 W/cm². For pumping intensities on the order of 1000 W/cm², the amplification factor for short-wave radiation may attain values of 3 cm^?1 (for an active atom concentration of N ～ 10¹⁵ cm^?3), which is sufficient for the development of lasing per path through an active medium (superradiance condition) for a length of the active medium on the order of 10 cm.     

Au原子高Rydberg态场致电离的实验研究

利用电热法将含金物质加热,产生Au原子束,再以两束UV脉冲激光垂直照射,将处于基态的Au原子共振激发至高Rydberg态。滞后于激光脉冲200ns的高压脉冲电场(6500V/cm)加到反应区,使处于Rydberg态的Au原子电离。激光波长在一定范围内扫描,共测出了Au原子的n²D_3/2(n=18—38)和n²S_1/2(n=21—34;36—38)两通道的38条能级的位置。用参数拟合得到²D_3/2和²S_1/2两系列的极限分别为:E_D=74409.8(3)cm^-1,E_S=74410.0(2)cm^-1,计算了每条能级的量子亏损。我们的实验还证明了场电离是一种十分有效的电离手段,比用通常的激光光电离效率要高得多。这在共振电离谱学(RIS)的研究中是一种很有效的方法。 关键词：     

Experimental study of autoionizing states of AuI

This paper describes the investigation of the autoionizing states of AuI by exciting the states of 6d ² D _3/2 and 6d D _5/2 with tunable dye lasers by means of a resonance ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (RI-TOFMS). Many new autoionizing states were found, a few of which have narrow-linewidths of about 0.1 cm^–1. The photoionization efficiencies for different channels were compared. Among the autoionizing states found so far, the highest photoionization yield is given by two newly obtained states from the state 6d ² D _5/2, 3683.6 cm^–1 and 4636.5 cm^–1 above the first ionization limit. In addition, the Shore-Fano profile parameters of several autoionizing resonances were determined by a nonlinear fitting program.     

Radiative transitions in the system of autoionizing levels of cesium atoms excited by electron impact

We study the energy dependences of electron excitation cross sections of the autoionizing levels (5p ⁵6s ²)² P _3/2 and (5p ⁵5d(³ P)6s)² P _3/2, as well as the autoionization cross sections of cesium atoms in the impact energy range from the excitation threshold to 600 eV. It is established that an increase in the excitation cross section of the ² P _3/2 levels (to 60% of the maximum value) and the deep minimum in the autoionization cross section observed in the energy region of 17–27 eV are caused by the predominance of the radiative decay channel for autoionizing levels with excitation thresholds above 17 eV. The high efficiency of the process is mainly related to the resonance excitation of these levels in the near-threshold energy region.