L-italic- and n-italic-changing processes in the Rydberg states of Li induced by thermal collisions with H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, CO, and D/sub 2/

Journal Article · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Phys. Rev. A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.34.885· OSTI ID:5522154

Dubreuil, B; Harnafi, M

Collisional transfers induced in the n-italic = 6--13 Li Rydberg states by H/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, and CO molecules have been experimentally studied in a heat-pipe oven. The l-italic-mixing cross sections have been deduced from the fast component of the population relaxations following pulsed laser excitation. The order of magnitude of these cross sections (10/sup 3/ A-circle/sup 2/) is well predicted by the existing theories. For large n-italic, the cross sections stay approximately constant. This can be partly explained by the influence of inelastic processes such as n-italic changing. In the particular case of H/sub 2/, n-italic-changing collisions have been identified by the fluorescence starting from the n-italic' = n-italic +- 1, n-italic-2 levels. Cross sections of the order of 10 A-circle/sup 2/ have been measured. The systematic study of the n-italic-changing cross sections as a function of the transferred energy shows some evidence of resonance phenomena corresponding to an energy exchange between the Rydberg electron and the molecular rotation. This effect is also observed when H/sub 2/ is replaced by D/sub 2/. These resonances are well described by the theory of Petitjean and Gounand based on the e-italic-quadrupolar interaction.

• Research Organization: Groupe de Recherche sur l'Energe-acute-accenttique des Milieux Ionise-acute-accents, Universite-acute-accent d'Orle-acute-accentans, 45067 Orle-acute-accentans Ce-acute-accentdex 2, France
• OSTI ID: 5522154
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. A; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. A; (United States) Vol. 34:2; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640304* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ALKALI METALS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLISIONS
CONFIGURATION MIXING
DEUTERIUM
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EXCITED STATES
FLUORESCENCE
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INTERACTIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LASER RADIATION
LIGHT NUCLEI
LITHIUM
LUMINESCENCE
METALS
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PULSED IRRADIATION
QUANTUM NUMBERS
RADIATIONS
RESONANCE FLUORESCENCE
RYDBERG STATES
STABLE ISOTOPES
VIBRATIONAL STATES