Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics
Zeeman effect on disalignment of excited atoms by radiation re-absorption: neon 2p2atoms in a discharge plasma
K. Deguchi, T Imagawa, T. Shikama, Masahiro Hasuo
Abstract
We have measured the relaxation rate of alignment of neon atoms in a 2p2 (in Paschen notation) level, which were excited by a linearly polarized laser pulse in a glow discharge plasma at 77 K, in a magnetic field of up to 3 T in the Voigt configuration. The relaxation rate decreased with an increase in the magnetic field strength of up to 0.5 T and showed no magnetic field dependence above 0.5 T. We developed a Monte Carlo simulation method to calculate alignment relaxation, or disalignment, by radiation re-absorption of atomic resonance lines in a magnetic field. The simulated result was found to be consistent with the observed magnetic field dependence. We analysed the results of the simulation from a point of competition between the Zeeman splitting and the Doppler broadening of the transition lines from the 2p2 level.