Electron-impact cross sections for ground state to np excitations of sodium and potassium

Journal Article · Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004 · Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.6028/jres.109.037· OSTI ID:1628756

Stone, P. M. ^[1]; Kim, Y. K. ^[2]

---

1. National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States); DOE/OSTI
2. National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)

Cross sections for electron impact excitation of atoms are important for modeling of low temperature plasmas and gases. While there are many experimental and theoretical results for excitation to the first excited states, little information is available for excitation to higher states. We present here calculations of excitations from the ground state to the np levels of sodium (n = 3 through 11) and potassium (n = 4 through 12). We also present a calculation for a transition from the excited sodium level 3p to 3d to show the generality of the method. Scaling formulas developed earlier by Kim [Phys. Rev. A 64, 032713 (2001)] for plane-wave Born cross sections are used. These formulas have been shown to be remarkably accurate yet simple to use. We have used a core polarization potential in a Dirac-Fock wave function code to calculate target atom wave functions and a matching form of the dipole transition operator to calculate oscillator strengths and Born cross sections. The scaled Born results here for excitation to the first excited levels are in very good agreement with experimental and other theoretical data, and the results for excitation to the next few levels are in satisfactory agreement with the limited data available. The present results for excitation to the higher levels are believed to be the only data available.

• Research Organization: National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES)
• OSTI ID: 1628756
• Journal Information: Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Journal Name: Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 109; ISSN 1044-677X
• Publisher: National Institute of Standards (NIST)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
Instruments & Instrumentation
Physics
core polarization
electronimpact
excitation cross section
potassium
sodium