Cadmium (5 1 P 1 → 5 3 P J) excitation transfer and 5 3 P J intramultiplet relaxation by collisions with molecular gases

Collisional 5 ¹ P ₁ → 5 ³ P _J spin changing fine structure transfer as well as 5 ³ P _J intramultiplet mixing induced by various molecular gases (H₂, D₂, N₂, CO, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₆, C₃H₈, C₂H₄) have been investigated using a combined method of fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. After pulsed optical excitation of the Cd(5 ¹ P ₁) level the time dependence of the population densities has been measured both for the Cd(5 ¹ P ₁) level as well as the three collisionally populated Cd(5 ³ P _J) levels. By analyzing the signal curves at different molecular gas pressures not only the ratios of 5 ¹ P ₁ → 5 ³ P _J population transfer cross sections but also the Cd(5 ¹ P _J), Cd(5 ³ P _J) quenching cross sections and the Cd(5 ³ P _J) intramultiplet population transfer cross sections have been obtained.