Sensitized fluorescence in sodium induced in collisions with Hg(6$sup 3$P$sub 1$) atoms

Joseph Edward Hueser

M. Czajkowski, George M. Skardis, L. Krause

Collisional transfer of excitation from mercury to sodium was investigated using methods of sensitized fluorescence. A mixture of mercury and sodium vapors at low pressure was irradiated with Hg 2537 Å resonance radiation, producing a population of Hg(63P1) atoms whose inelastic collisions with ground-state sodium atoms resulted in a transfer of excitation energy to close-lying S, P, and D states in sodium. The subsequent decay of these states manifested itself in the emission of a sensitized fluorescent spectrum. Absolute intensity measurements on the components of the spectrum yielded 21 cross sections whose magnitudes range from 0.02 to 38.5 Å2 and which exhibit a pronounced resonance with ΔE, the energy defect between Hg (63P1) and the appropriate level in sodium.

Dieter Gruber, Ursula Domiaty, Laurentius Windholz +1 more

M. Czajkowski, L. Krause, George M. Skardis

The behavior of the sensitized fluorescent spectrum of sodium, produced by irradiating Hg–Na–N2 mixtures with Hg 2537 Å resonance radiation, was studied in relation to N2 pressure. In this ternary vapor-gas system, the sodium atoms become excited by collisional transfer from Hg 63P1 atoms and also from Hg 63P0 atoms which are formed in Hg(63P1) + N2 collisions. The spontaneous decay of the collisionally populated S, P, and D sodium states gives rise to the fluorescent spectrum and their radiationless decay (quenching) caused by collisions with N2 molecules, manifests itself in a decrease of the fluorescent intensities as N2 pressure is increased. An analysis of the variation of the fluorescent intensities with N2 pressure, yielded 15 quenching cross sections for various S, P, and D sodium states, which appear to exhibit resonance properties with respect to upward vibrational transitions in N2.

M. Czajkowski, L. Krause

The transfer of excitation energy, induced in inelastic collisions between excited Hg atoms and ground state Zn atoms, was studied using methods of sensitized fluorescence. Hg atoms in a low density Hg–Zn mixture were excited with Hg 2537 Å resonance radiation to the 63P1 state, and interacted with the Zn atoms which became collisionally excited to the 43P1 state and then decayed emitting sensitized fluorescence. Measurements of relative intensities of Hg 2537 Å resonance fluorescence and Zn 3076 Å sensitized fluorescence yielded the cross section of 5.9 × 10−2 Å2 for Hg(63P1) → Zn(43P1) excitation transfer. The addition of small quantities of N2 to the Hg–Zn vapor mixture enhanced the efficiency of the transfer. The cross section for quenching of the Zn 43P1 state by collisions with N2 was found to be 0.19 Å2.

Barry L. Sharp, A. Goldwasser