Optically Imaging an Ultracold Strontium Plasma

Journal Article · Thu May 05 04:00:00 EDT 2005 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1928847· OSTI ID:20718868

Killian, T C; Che, Y C; Gupta, P; Laha, S; Martinez, Y N; Mickelson, P G; Nagel, S B; Saenz, A D; Simien, C E ^[1]

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1. Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Houston, Texas, 77005 (United States)

Ultracold neutral plasmas are formed by photoionizing laser-cooled atoms near the ionization threshold. Through the application of atomic physics techniques and diagnostics, these experiments stretch the boundaries of traditional neutral plasma physics. The electron temperature in these plasmas ranges from 1-1000 K and the ion temperature is around 1 K. The density can be as high as 1010 cm-3. Fundamental interest stems from the possibility of creating strongly-coupled plasmas, but recombination, collective modes, and thermalization in these systems have also been studied. Optical absorption images of a strontium plasma, using the Sr+ 2S1/2 {yields} 2P1/2 transition at 422 nm, depict the density profile of the plasma, and probe kinetics on a 50 ns time-scale. The Doppler-broadened ion absorption spectrum measures the ion velocity distribution, which gives an accurate measure of the ion dynamics in the first microsecond after photoionization.

• OSTI ID: 20718868
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 770; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ATOMIC PHYSICS
ATOMS
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
IMAGES
ION TEMPERATURE
KINETICS
LASER-PRODUCED PLASMA
LASERS
PHOTOIONIZATION
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
PLASMA PRODUCTION
RECOMBINATION
STRONTIUM
THERMALIZATION