Research studies on radiative collisional processes. Interim technical report

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6597538

Harris, S E; Young, J F

A radiative collisional process is one wherein two atoms and a photon simultaneously participate. In the prototype reaction, energy is first stored in a state of some atom and an incident laser is tuned so as to satisfy the energy defect between this storage state and a selected state of a second atom. In the presence of this incident laser beam, the collision cross section may be as large as 10 to the minus 12th sq cm (i. e., corresponding to billiard ball sizes of the atoms of almost 100 A), thereby allowing rapid transfer of energy to the target species. Of particular interest, the storage species may not only be an excited state of an atom, but instead may also be the ground state of an ion. An intense laser field may then be used to rapidly transfer this energy to an excited ionic state of a second species. Such a process is termed as laser induced charge transfer. Since ground state ions are easily created and represent a means of long-lived energy storage, laser induced charge transfer processes are particularly exciting for applications.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (USA). Edward L. Ginzton Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6597538
• Report Number(s): AD-A-087527; GL-3147
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640304* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOMS
CHARGE EXCHANGE
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LEVELS
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
GROUND STATES
IONS
LASER RADIATION
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHOTON COLLISIONS
PHOTON-ATOM COLLISIONS
PHOTONS
RADIATIONS