A modified Zeeman scanning method was used to excite selectively the magnetic substates of the
42P21 potassium atoms mixed with inert gases and placed in a strong magnetic field. The resulting potassium-inert-gas atomic collisions induced
mJ mixing in potassium, which manifested itself by the depolarization of the potassium resonance fluorescence. The polarization measurements yielded the following disorientation cross sections: K-He: 46
A˚2; K-Ne: 39
A˚2; K-A: 52
A˚2; K-Kr: 80
A˚2; K-Xe: 107
A˚2.
The cross sections for the decay of circular and of linear polarization in oriented
42P23 potassium atoms, induced in collision with inert-gas atoms, were determined in a series of fluorescence experiments. A modified Zeeman scanning method was used to populate selectively the
mJ sublevels of the
2P23 potassium atoms mixed with inert gases and placed in a strong magnetic field. Measurements of depolarization of the fluorescence, in relation to gas pressures, yielded the following depolarization cross sections: ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}$ (disorientation): K-He, 86
A˚2; K-Ne, 86
A˚2; K-Ar, 164
A˚2; K-Kr, 248
A˚2; K-Xe, 251 \AA{}. ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{2}$ (disalignment): K-He, 127 \AA{}; K-Ne, 120
A˚2; K-Ar, 240
A˚2, K-Kr, 301
A˚2, K-Xe, 336
A˚2. The experimental values are in satisfactory agreement with the calculations of Nikitin and Ovchinnikova.