skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Measurement of Asymmetric Optical Pumping of Ions Accelerating in a Magnetic-field Gradient

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/836151· OSTI ID:836151

We report observations of asymmetric optical pumping of argon ions accelerating in a magnetic field gradient. The signature is a difference in the laser-induced-fluorescence (LIF) emission amplitude from a pair of Zeeman-split states. A model that reproduces the dependence of the asymmetry on magnetic-field and ion-velocity gradients is described. With the model, the fluorescence intensity ratio provides a new method of measuring ion collisionality. This phenomenon has implications for interpreting stellar plasma spectroscopy data which often exhibit unequal Zeeman state intensities.

Research Organization:
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab. (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH03073
OSTI ID:
836151
Report Number(s):
PPPL-4020; TRN: US0500505
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 28 Oct 2004
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English