Experimental Studies of Metastable Atoms and Molecules.

E. E. Muschlitz

T. J. Gay

Matthias Raunhardt

John W. Keto, F. J. Soley, M. Stockton +1 more

We have studied the dynamic properties of the $\mathrm{He}(2^{3}S)$ and the ${\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$ atomic and molecular metastable states of helium that are produced in electron-bombarded superfluid helium. The steady-state concentration of ${\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$ molecules is shown to be limited by collisions between pairs of these molecules. Measurements of the rate coefficient for this bimolecular reaction as a function of temperature and pressure show that the reaction is diffusion limited and that the diffusion coefficient for the metastable molecules in the superfluid is determined by ${\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$-roton collisions. The bilinear destruction of metastable molecules has been monitored for times as long as 0.1 sec after the initial population of the state, and this establishes a lower bound of 0.1 sec on the radiative lifetime of the $(v=0) {\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$ state in superfluid helium. The lifetime and decay mode of the $\mathrm{He}(2^{3}S)$ atoms are distinctly different from that of the corresponding ${\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$ molecule. In particular, the characteristic lifetime of the $\mathrm{He}(2^{3}S)$ state in superfluid helium is essentially independent of the temperature between 2.08 and 1.4 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and is measured to be about 15 \ensuremath{\mu}sec. Our experimental observations indicate that the destruction of metastable atoms results in the population of high vibrational levels of the $a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+}$ molecular state. However, it is shown that the production of $(v=0) {\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$ molecules responds immediately to the electron beam (response time 3 \ensuremath{\mu}sec) and thus the formation of this state in the liquid does not depend upon the destruction of metastable atoms. Despite the fact that the lifetimes and decay modes of the metastable $\mathrm{He}(2^{3}S)$ atoms and $(v=0) {\mathrm{He}}_{2}(a^{3}\ensuremath{\Sigma}_{u}^{+})$ molecules are not related, the production rates for these states are nearly equal and correspond to about 450 and 500 per incident 160-keV electron, respectively.

Č. Hradečný, J. Slovák, T. Těthal +2 more

An observation of light-induced drift (LID) of atoms with an intermediate metastable level between the ground and excited resonance levels is reported. The drift of atoms of barium was investigated. Molecular nitrogen was used as a buffer gas. The 5d $^{1}$D metastable state of Ba atoms was quenched in collisions with ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ molecules. It has been deduced from the experimental results that the collision cross section of Ba atoms with ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ molecules is larger for Ba atoms in the ground state than in the 6p $^{1}$P excited state. The maximal LID velocity was about 250 cm/s.

Enrique Gaviola

A complete and general study of the dependence of life and concentration of metastable mercury atoms, optically excited, on experimental conditions, on foreign gas-pressures, and on intensity of illumination is given. This study explains why the life can not be larger than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ second under laboratory conditions and why foreign gases act so differently in regard to the accumulation of excited atoms. The theoretical results are in good agreement with all experimental data available. An improved and more general formula for the quenching of mercury resonance radiation is obtained. The efficiencies of collisions of the second kind of metastable mercury atoms with ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, A, and He molecules are calculated numerically. It is shown that the concentration of metastable atoms increases only with the square root of the intensity of the exciting light and not with the exciting light itself as generally assumed.