Stationary population inversion of hydrogen in an arc-heated magnetically trapped expanding hydrogen-helium plasma jet

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.49.1534· OSTI ID:5254488

Akatsuka, H; Suzuki, M ^[1]

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1. Research Laboratory for Nuclear Reactors, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguroku, Tokyo 152 (Japan)

A stationary recombining hydrogen-helium mixed plasma is generated in the arc-heated magnetically trapped expanding plasma jet that was developed in the authors' laboratory. The plasma can be generated very stably and a spectroscopic analysis is accomplished with sufficient accuracy. Population densities of atomic hydrogen whose principal quantum number is 3--12 are observed spectroscopically. When the plasma comes downstream, the electron temperature becomes low and population inversion is obtained between the level pairs 3-4, 3-5, and 4-5 in hydrogen atoms. The experimental results are explained very well by a calculation based on the collisional radiative model in which the hydrogen plasma is optically thin. The potential for cw lasing by H I is discussed in terms of atomic processes based on the experimental and numerical results.

• OSTI ID: 5254488
• Journal Information: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical Physics, Plasmas, Fluids, and Related Interdisciplinary Topics; (United States) Vol. 49:2; ISSN 1063-651X; ISSN PLEEE8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700350* -- Plasma Production
Heating
Current Drive
& Interactions-- (1992-)
700380 -- Elementary & Classical Processes in Plasmas-- (1992-)
CURRENTS
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GAS LASERS
GASES
HELIUM
HYDROGEN
LASERS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NONMETALS
PLASMA JETS
POPULATION INVERSION
RARE GASES
SPECTROSCOPY