Determination of the effective cross sections for the excitation of the mercury metastable level 63P2

The deexcitation of the metastable mercury level 6³P₂ by electron impact was investigated by the method of impact of the second kind in a Hanle-type tube. These data and the relations of Klein and Rosseland were then used to reconstruct the excitation functiori for the 6S₀ 6³P₂ transition in mercury. A single maximum located 0.3 eV to the right of the excitation threshold was observed on the excitation function of the 6³P₂ level. A formula is also presented for the effective cross sections for the excitation of the mercury metastable 6³P₂ level. The effective cross section at the maximum of the excitation function of the 6³P₂ level is 2.9 · 10^–16 cm² ±30%.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 85–91, December, 1970.The authors are deeply grateful to V. A. Fabrikant and the participants of the seminar under his direction for a discussion of the present results.