Kinetic model of a Ne-H{sub 2} Penning Recombination Laser operating in the hollow cathode discharge

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:232873

Pramatarov, P M; Stefanova, M S; Petrov, G M ^[1]

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1. Georgy Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Sofia (Bulgaria)

The Penning Recombination Laser (PRL) requires the presence of both a recombination plasma populating the upper laser level (ULL) and a gas component efficiently depopulating the lower laser level (LLL) by Penning reactions. Such requirements are met in the negative glow plasma of a pulsed high voltage Ne-H{sub 2} discharge with a helical hollow cathode. High rates of ionizations followed by recombinations are reached due to the beam component of non-Maxwellian electrons of 1-2 keV energy present in the tail of the electron energy distribution function. The H{sub 2}, on the one hand plays the role of Penning component and on the other hand effectively cools the electrons by rotational and vibrational levels excitation. The latter contributes to the effectiveness of the recombination processes. A kinetic model of the physical processes determining the inversion population on the NeI(2p{sub 1}-1s{sub 2}) transition (the 585.3 nm line) in a Ne-H{sub 2} PRL operating in a high voltage hollow cathode discharge at intermediate pressures is proposed. About 60 plasma-chemical reactions are considered in the model. These include: two-electron recombination of Ne{sup +}; dissociative recombination of Ne{sub 2}{sup +}, NeH{sup +} and H{sub 2}{sup +}; ion-ion recombination of Ne{sup +} and H{sup -}; Ne and H{sub 2} direct ionization by fast electrons; Ne stepwise ionization; Penning ionization; Ne excitation by fast electrons; Ne stepwise excitation and de-excitation; radiative transitions; electron mixing between Ne excited states; H{sub 2} rotational and vibrational levels excitation; H{sub 2} dissociative attachment; elastic electron collisions with H{sub 2} and Ne. The rate constants for the reactions are either taken from the literature or calculated in this work.

• OSTI ID: 232873
• Report Number(s): CONF-950749--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
66 PHYSICS
DESIGN
GAS LASERS
HOLLOW CATHODES
KINETIC EQUATIONS
PENNING DISCHARGES
RECOMBINATION