Momentum transport cross-section measurements for potassium and rubidium in rare gases and white light-induced separation of rubidium isotopes

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:121340

Mugglin, D T

This dissertation is concerned with two light-induced kinetic effects, light-induced diffusive pulling and light-induced drift. We use a light-induced diffusive pulling experiment to measure the ground state velocity-changing collision cross section (related to the momentum transport cross section and the diffusion coefficient) and the relative difference ({Delta}{sigma}/{sigma}) of the excited and ground state cross sections with respect to that of the ground state for potassium mixed with inert buffer gases. The measured excited state cross section is a weighted average of the potassium 4{sup 2}P{sub 1/2} and 4{sup 2}P{sub 3/2} fine structure levels, which are mixed by collisions with inert gas atoms. For the ground state cross sections, we obtain the following experimental results for potassium mixed with He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, respectively: 52 {+-} 4, 57 {+-} 8, 61 {+-} 5, 43 {+-} 5, and 60 {+-}5 {angstrom}{sup 2}. For {Delta}{sigma}/{sigma}, we obtain the following (in the same order): 0.085 {+-} 0.010, 0.058 {+-} 0.006, 0.41 {+-} 0.03, 0.43 {+-} 0.03, and 0.61 {+-} 0.05. For potassium-Ne and potassium-Ar, we combine these measurements with light-induced drift measurements of the ratio {Delta}{sigma}(J = 3/2) : {Delta}{sigma}(J = 1/2) to obtain absolute transport cross sections for the individual 4{sup 2}S{sub 1/2}, 4{sup 2}P{sub 1/2}, and 4{sup 2}P{sub 3/2} levels. We also use the light-induced diffusive pulling experimental method to measure {Delta}{sigma}/{sigma} for Rb-inert gas mixtures. We obtain values for the ground state diffusion cross section for Rb in several of the inert gases as well. We report the first experimental observation of the separation of two isotopes using broadband light by the process of white light-induced drift. For a light source, we use a broadband laser with an acousto-optic modulator as an output coupler. We verify the separation of the {sup 85}Rb and {sup 87}Rb isotopes.

• Research Organization: Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 121340
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CROSS SECTIONS
ION DRIFT
ISOTOPE SEPARATION
L-S COUPLING
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
POTASSIUM
RARE GASES
RUBIDIUM
RUBIDIUM 85
RUBIDIUM 87