Observation of oriented 23 S 1 helium atoms in a sodium-helium plasma irradiated by polarization-modulated laser radiation

An experiment on the observation of spin polarization of metastable helium atoms interacting with optically oriented sodium atoms under continuous rf discharge conditions is described. Laser radiation with alternating-sign circular polarization, tuned to the resonance excitation of the 3² S _1/2–3² P _1/2 transition in Na atoms, is used as the source for optical pumping of ground-state sodium atoms. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 5, 385–387 (10 March 1997)     

Kinetics of the Excited States of Helium in an Atmospheric-Pressure Glow Discharge in a Helium-Nitrogen Mixture

Using an atomic-absorption spectral analysis technique, we determined the concentrations of helium atoms in states 2¹S, 2¹P, 2³S, and 2³P in an atmospheric-pressure glow discharge in helium (99.98%) and in a mixture of helium with nitrogen (99.5%He+0.5%N₂). It is shown that the population of the lower excited levels of helium atoms (n = 2) in its mixture with nitrogen is almost an order of magnitude smaller than in the case of a discharge in helium. The maximum of the concentration of excited atoms in a discharge both in helium and in its mixture with nitrogen is in the cathode region at a distance of about 0.1 mm from the cathode. The reaction of quenching of excited helium atoms by nitrogen molecules is responsible for the sharp decrease in the concentration of He(n = 2) on addition of nitrogen into helium. Presented at the 5th Symposium on Physics and Diagnostics of Laboratory and Astrophysical Plasmas, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro, Minsk, Belarus, September 20–23, 2004; 12th International Congress on Plasma Physics, October 25–29, 2004, Nice, France. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 4, pp. 530–537, July–August, 2005.     

Mechanisms of broadening of emission lines of a laser-induced plasma generated on the surface of rigid targets

This article reports the results of an experimental investigation of the basic mechanisms that cause the broadening of emission lines of a laser-induced plasma generated on the surface of rigid targets in a gaseous atmosphere. The contribution of Stark and resonance mechanisms of emission-line broadening for the resonance doublet Al I 3s²3p²P_3/2,1/2-3s²4s²S_1/2 and triplet Mg I 3s3p³P _0,1,2 ⁰ -3s4s³S₁ is discussed. The concentrations of neutral Al atoms in the laser-induced plasma are evaluated by the magnitude of resonance line broadening. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 234–237, March–April, 2000.     

Acceleration of cold Rb atoms by frequency modulated light pulses

The displacement of Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT) caused by the force of a finite time series of counter-propagating frequency modulated light pulse pairs is measured as a function of the chirp of the pulses. The frequency modulated light pulses induced ⁸⁵Rb 5²S_1/2 F=3 ↔ ⁸⁵Rb 5²P_3/2 F'=2, 3, 4 excitation and de-excitation of the atoms. The result of this excitation de-excitation process is a force causing the acceleration and, consequently, the displacement of the maximum of the spatial distribution of the trap atoms. The time dependence of the populations of the levels of the atom are calculated — including also the ⁸⁵Rb 5²S_1/2 F=2 and F'=1 states — as the result of the interaction with the finite train of counter propagating frequency modulated light pulses by the solution of the Bloch equations. As the result of the measurement the interval of the chirp of the frequency modulated light of given intensity where the transitions take place, are determined. The results of the experiment and the expectation on the basis of model calculations are in qualitative agreement.     

Molecular structure of trimethyl[(3-indole)ethoxy]silane cooled in a supersonic jet

Conformations of He-jet-cooled trimethyl[(3-indole)ethoxy]silane (TIES) have been studied using a laser spectroscopy technique in combination with quantum-chemical computations. Six probable conformers of the molecule were computed, of which only two conformations were observed. Based on an analysis of fluorescence excitation spectra, fluorescence spectra, shapes of rotational band contours at the electronic S₀–S₁ transition of TIES, and theoretical computations, the above conformers were assigned to steric structures. Twisted structures have the lowest energy due to intramolecular hydrogen bonds C - H ?O < _C^Si C - H \cdots O <_C^{Si} between hydrogen atoms of methyl groups and an oxygen atom and C–H···π between H and the π-electron cloud of the indole ring.     

Space resolved density measurements of argon and helium metastable atoms in radio-frequency generated He-Ar micro-plasmas

Space resolved concentrations of helium He* (³S₁) and argon Ar* (³P₂) metastable atoms in an atmospheric pressure radio frequency micro-plasma jet were measured using tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Even small absorptions down to 10^-4 could be measured using lock-in technique. The absolute density of metastable atoms densities at different rf-power, flow rate and gas mixture was deduced from measured absorption rates. Metastable concentrations range from 10⁹ to 10¹¹ cm^-3. Analysis of spectral profiles provided the pressure broadening coefficients of both metastable atoms by helium. The spatial distribution of metastable atoms in the plasma volume was obtained for various discharge conditions. Density profiles between the electrodes reveal the sheath structure and reflect the plasma excitation distributions in the discharge volume. It reveals the dominance of the α-mode discharge.     

Photofragment space distribution in the photodissociation of NaI in the spectral range 315–370 nm: the role of molecular axis rotation

The first determination of translational anisotropy parameters β in the photodissociation of NaI molecules in the spectral range 315–370 nm is reported. The anisotropy parameters were determined by the analysis of Doppler resolved absorption profiles of Na(²S_1/2) atoms produced in the photodissociation of NaI by linearly polarized light. The profiles were recorded for two orientations of the photolysis light: parallel and perpendicular to the direction of the probe beam. The value of the parameter β was obtained from a simultaneous fit of the profiles. The role of the rotation of the parent molecules on the branching ratio between parallel and perpendicular transitions in NaI during dissociation is discussed.     

Observation of signature inversion in the πh9/2?vi13/2 oblate band

High-spin states in ¹⁹⁰Tl have been studied via the ¹⁶⁰Gd(³⁵Cl, 5nγ) reaction. The level scheme, consisting of the πh _9/2⊗vi _13/2 oblate band and a cascade with character of single particle excitations, has been established. Spin values have been firmly assigned to the oblate band in ¹⁹⁰Tl, resulting in low-spin signature inversion in the πh _9/2⊗vi _13/2 oblate band for the first time. Based on the similarity of the level structure in doubly odd Tl nuclei, spin values for the oblate bands in ^192–200Tl should be re-assigned, and a consistent low-spin signature inversion has occurred in these oblate deformed nuclei. The low-spin signature inversion phenomena can be interpreted qualitatively by using the 2-quasiparticle plus rotor model including p-n residual interactions.     

Spin polarization of helium 23 S 1 atoms in a Na-He gas-discharge plasma with optically oriented sodium atoms

The polarization of helium 2³ S ₁ atoms is achieved by collisional processes involving optically oriented sodium atoms in a Na-He gas-discharge plasma, and the conditions for observing the signal of the magnetic resonance excited by the 2³ S ₁ state of the He atoms are investigated. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 131–133 (June 1997)     

Limitations of an optically pumped rubidium laser imposed by atom recycle rate

A rubidium laser pumped on the 5²S_1/2–5²P_3/2 D₂ transition by a pulsed dye laser at pump intensities exceeding 3.5 MW/cm² (>1000 times threshold) has been demonstrated. Output energies as high as 12 μJ/pulse are limited by the rate for collision relaxation of the pumped ²P_3/2 state to the upper laser ²P_1/2 state. More than 250 photons are available for every rubidium atom in the pumped volume during each pulse. For modest alkali atom and ethane spin–orbit relaxer concentrations, the gain medium can only process about 50 photons/atom during the 2–8 ns pump pulse. At 110°C and 550 Torr of ethane, the system is bottlenecked in the ²P_3/2 state and all of the incident photons cannot be absorbed. The output energy is linearly dependent on pump pulse duration for a given pump energy. The highly saturated pump limit of the recently developed three-level model for diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) is developed. The system efficiency based on absorbed photons approaches 36% even for these extreme pump conditions.     

The Muonic Hydrogen Lamb Shift Experiment at PSI

A measurement of the 2S Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen (μ⁻p) is being prepared at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The goal of the experiment is to measure the energy difference ΔE(2⁵ P _3/2−2³ S _1/2) by laser spectroscopy (λ≈6μm) to a precision of 30 ppm and to deduce the root mean square (rms) proton charge radius with 10⁻³ relative accuracy, 20 times more precise than presently known. An important prerequisite to this experiment is the availability of long-lived μp_2S -atoms. A 2S-lifetime of ∼1 μs – sufficiently long to perform the laser experiment – at H₂ gas pressures of 1–2 hPa was deduced from recent measurements of the collisional 2S-quenching rate. A new low-energy negative muon beam yields an order of magnitude more muon stops in a small low-density gas volume than a conventional cloud muon beam. A stack of ultra-thin carbon foils is the key element of a fast detector for keV-muons. The development of a 2 keV X-ray detector and a 3-stage laser system providing 0.5 mJ laser pulses at 6 μm is on the way. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rate constants of nonradiative intersystem crossing transition S1(ππ*) ? T1(ππ*) in molecules of aromatic compounds with heteroatoms

In terms of the adiabatic theory of interactions, we consider the results of the theoretical estimation of the rate constants K _ST of the nonradiative intersystem crossing conversion S ₁(ππ*) ⇝ T ₁ ^S (ππ*) for nine aromatic molecules containing 10–14 carbon atoms and one or two heavy (many-electron) oxygen or chlorine atoms.     

Diffusion and solubility of electrically active iron atoms in gallium arsenide

Iron diffusion in GaAs at arsenic pressure 1 atm is studied. The temperature dependences of the diffusion coefficient and solubility of electrically active iron atoms in GaAs are determined. The dependences can be described by the Arrhenius equations with the following parameters: D ₀ = 1.61 cm²/s and E = (2.16 ± 0.47) eV (for diffusion) and N _S ⁰ = 4.62 ⋅ 10²³ cm⁻³ and E _S = (1.61 ± 0.16) eV (for solubility). The results obtained are compared with the earlier published data. The concentration of electrically active iron atoms is shown to be about 2 times lower than the total iron concentration in GaAs. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 39–41, November, 2008.     

A Mössbauer-effect investigation of some electrochemically inserted lithium thiospinels

Summary We present here a study carried out on In₁₆Sn₄S₃₂ and In₁₆Fe₈S₃₂ spinels. Electronic and local environment changes of Sn and Fe are discussed from recorded M?ssbauer parameters. In the case of the tin thiospinel, a reduction process from Sn^IV to Sn^II is obvious till an amount of 8 inserted Li. For the iron thiospinel a migration of iron atoms from the octahedral to the tetrahedral sites is observed. In the region of higher lithium amounts (10– Li), in both spinels a further environment appears indicating an increase of covalency. Paper presented at ICAME-95, Rimini, 10–16 September 1995.     

Precision Lamb shift measurement in hydrogenic nitrogen by fast beam laser spectroscopy

A measurement of the 2S_1/2–2P_3/2 (fine structure–Lamb shift) transition in N⁶⁺ is under way. The technique involves fast beam spectroscopy with a transverse interaction geometry and uses an isotopic CO₂ laser and a resonant build up cavity. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of the absorption constant in the interband region by photocurrent measurements

We determined high absorption constants of crystals from photocurrent measurements within the interband absorption region (10–10⁴ cm^-1). The method has been demonstrated in the interband absorption regime near 530 nm in Sn₂P₂S₆, a novel infrared sensitive photorefractive material, and in the interband absorption regime near 257 nm of near stoichiometric LiTaO₃. Besides the verification of older measurements with our new technique, precise absorption data for Sn₂P₂S₆ in the wavelength range 488–514 nm are presented. PACS 42.70.Nq; 72.41.+w; 78.20.Ci     

Short-Range Order of the Rotational Degree of Freedom of the Glycine Molecule in Triglycine Sulfate Glass State

The unit cell of triglycine sulfate (TGS) contains the following glycine ions: dimers (GIISHBGIII)⁺ with a short hydrogen bond (SHB) and a monomer (SO₄LHBGI)⁺ with a long hydrogen bond (LHB) to the SO₄ ²⁻ anion. The spontaneous polarization results from a statistical charge distribution and the Coulomb interaction between SO₄ ²⁻ and fast rotating –NH₃ ⁺ groups. In the lamellar model, chains of –SO₄–(GIISHBGIII)–SO₄–(GIISHBGIII)–SO₄ lying along the polar b-axis are linked perpendicularly to this axis by SO₄LHBGI⁺ units. Tilting the LHBGI⁺ ion around the axis in the mirror plane decides on the direction of the charge displacement from this symmetry plane. The reversal of the spontaneous polarization, i.e., −P _S↔ +P _S, is related to the rotation of the NH₃ group. If this rotation becomes slowed down at low temperature and/or under high pressure, the coercive field increases dramatically. Application of an external electric field E _⊥ perpendicular to the b-axis leads to a hysteresis loop of the polarity P(E), and finally to its disappearance. This phenomenon comes from an ordering of protons in hydrogen bonds perpendicular to the polar axis. This is the first study of the E _⊥ effect by nuclear magnetic resonance. Authors' address: Jan Stankowski, Institute of Molecular Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Smoluchowskiego 17, Poznań 60-179, Poland     

Inert gases’ collisional broadening and shift of thallium rydberg states

Summary The broadening and shift of thallium 6P _1/2–10P _1/2,3/2 transitions perturbed by argon and helium gas have been measured by two-photon Doppler-free absorption and ionization detection. Broadening and shift coefficients for He+Tl and Ar+Tl are obtained and van der Waal constants are determined.

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Riassunto L’allargemento e lo spostamento delle transizioni 6P _1/2–10P _1/2,3/2 del tallio disturbate dai gas argon ed elio sono statimisurrrati da un’osservazione di assorbimento e ionizzazione in assenza di effetto Doppler a due fotoni. Si ottengono i coefficienti di allargamento e spostamento per He+Tl e Ar+Tl e si determinano le costanti di van der Waals.

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Резюме Измеряются уширение и сдвиг 6P _1/2–10P _1/2,3/2 переходов в таллии, возмущенном аргоном и гелием. Получаются козффициенть уширения и сдвита для He+Tl и Ar+Tl. Определяются постояннйе ван дер Ваальса.

     

Laser spectroscopy of the rydberg states of atoms group IIB (Zn, Cd, Hg)

An investigation has been made of the³P_0,1,2-series of Zn (n=17–60), Cd (17–50), and Hg (18–60) atoms by the method of laser three-step photoionization. The energy (E_n) values and quantum defects (Δ) of these states are determined. The ionization potentials of the atoms are refined by matching the convergence of the Rydberg series. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 249–250, March–April, 2000.     

Electrical and optical emission measurements of a capillary dielectric barrier discharge

We report a capillary dielectric barrier discharge (Cap-DBD) plasma operated in atmospheric pressure air. The plasma reactor consists of metal wire electrodes inside quartz capillary tubes powered with a low kilohertz frequency AC high voltage power supply. Various reactor geometries (planar, 3-D multilayer, and circular) with wall-to-wall separation ranging from zero up to 500 micron were investigated. For the electrical and spectral measurements, three reactors, each with six tubes, six inches in length, were assembled with gap widths of 500 micron, 225 micron, and 0 micron (i.e. tubes touching). The discharges appear homogenous across the whole device at separations below 225 micron and turned into filamentary discharges at larger gap spaces. The operating voltage was generally around 3–4 kV (rms). The power consumption by the Cap-DBD was calculated using voltage/charge Lissajous figures with observed powers of a few watts to a maximum of about 14 W for the reactor with no gap spacing. Further studies of optical emission spectroscopy (OES) were employed to evaluate the reactive species generated in the microplasma source. The observed emission spectrum was predominantly within the second positive system of N₂\mbox{N}_2(C³\mbox{C}^3 P_u\Pi_u–B³\mbox{B}^3 P_g\Pi_g) and the first negative system of N⁺₂\mbox{N}^+_2(B²\mbox{B}^2 S⁺_u\Sigma^+_u–X²\mbox{X}^2 S⁺_g\Sigma^+_g).