On the interaction of excited alkali atoms with rare gas targets in scattering processes

A model potential calculation has been applied to evaluate scattering experiments for Na and K in the groundstate and the resonance state interacting with Ar. The model potential has only two free parameters which are determined by a best fit of the interatomic potentials to experimental results. Satisfactory agreement between calculated and experimental results is found for the differential cross sections in the groundstate and the excited state, for satellites in theK(4P),K(5P) and Na(3P) line profile, for the van der Waals constantsC ⁽⁶⁾ andC ⁽⁸⁾, the alkali ion-rare gas interaction and the vibrational energy levels of the Na-Ar molecule. As maior advantages we point out that for a given pair of atoms all these calculated data are given with one single pair of values for the free parameters and that with this set also the interatomic potentials for the higher alkali states (specifically up to 5f for Na and K) are obtained.