Polarization spectra of excited-state-Mg(3[ital p])--rare-gas-atom optical collisions

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Physical Review A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.50.423· OSTI ID:7233015

Lasell, R A; Olsgaard, D A; Havey, M D ^[1]; Kuprianov, D V ^[2]

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1. Physics Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529 (United States)
2. Department of Theoretical Physics, St. Petersburg Polytechnical Institute, St. Petersburg, SU-195251 (Russian Federation)

Experimental, polarization-dependent excitation spectra for excited-state-Mg--rare-gas-atom optical collisions are reported. In these first studies of the process, polarized Mg atoms in the 3[ital p] [sup 1][ital P][sub 1] level are produced by absorption of linearly polarized light tuned to the 3[ital s] [sup 1][ital S][sub 0][r arrow]3[ital p] [sup 1][ital P][sub 1] resonance transition at 285.2 nm. Detuning-dependent, collision-induced polarization spectra are measured in a [plus minus]200-cm[sup [minus]1] range around the Mg 3[ital p] [sup 1][ital P][sub 1][r arrow]5[ital s] [sup 1][ital S][sub 0] transition at 571.2 nm. The spectra correspond to probing transient Mg-Ne and Mg-Ar molecules on 3[ital p] [sup 1][Pi][sub 1][r arrow]5[ital s] [sup 1][Sigma][sub 0][sup +] and 3[ital p] [sup 1][Sigma][sub 0][sup +][r arrow]5[ital s] [sup 1][Sigma][sub 0][sup +] electronic transitions. Measurements of these excited-state polarization spectra for Mg-Ne optical collisions reveal that for detunings to the red of the atomic Mg 3[ital p] [sup 1][ital P][sub 1][r arrow]5[ital s] [sup 1][ital S][sub 0] transition, electronic linear polarization greater than 50% survives far into the molecular regime. This represents a direct measure of the polarization important to alignment-dependent inelastic processes in alkaline-earth-metal--rare-gas-atom collisions. The polarization spectra are discussed in terms of existing information on the interatomic potentials and through an axial recoil limit for the polarization degree for parallel and perpendicular molecular transitions. Rate coefficients [ital k] for disalignment of Mg 3[ital p] [sup 1][ital P][sub 1] atoms by collisions with Ar [[ital k]=9.4(5)[times]10[sup [minus]10] cm[sup 3]/s] and with Ne [[ital k]=6.5(7)[times]10[sup [minus]10] cm[sup 3]/s] are also extracted from the data.

• OSTI ID: 7233015
• Journal Information: Physical Review A; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review A; (United States) Vol. 50:1; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAAN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

664300* -- Atomic & Molecular Physics-- Collision Phenomena-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ARGON
ATOM COLLISIONS
ATOM-ATOM COLLISIONS
COLLISIONS
DEPOLARIZATION
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LEVELS
EXCITED STATES
FLUIDS
GASES
GROUND STATES
INELASTIC SCATTERING
MAGNESIUM
METALS
NEON
NONMETALS
ORIENTATION
POLARIZATION
RARE GASES
SCATTERING
SPECTRA
SPIN ORIENTATION