https://doi.org/10.1007/s100530050536
Electron excitation coefficients for 2p and 3p levels of Xe
1
Institute of Physics, Pregrevica 118, P.O.B. 68, 11080 Zemun
Belgrade, Yugoslavia
2
Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, P.O.B. 550, 11001 Belgrade,
Yugoslavia
Received:
17
March
1999
Revised:
9
August
1999
Published online: 15 April 2000
Electron excitation rate coefficients for 2p (,
,
,
,
,
) and 3p
(
,
,
,
,
) (in Paschen notation) levels of xenon atom have
been measured by using electron drift tube technique. The absolute excitation coefficients
were obtained from the optical signal at the anode in Townsend xenon discharges, after
correction for detector quantum efficiency. The ionization coefficients were determined from
the spatial emission profile. The measurement were made for the electric field to xenon atom
number density ratios (E/N) from
Vm2 to
Vm2. The data were obtained between moderate E/N values where electrons are in
equilibrium and very high E/N values where electrons may not be in equilibrium with the
local field. It was found that at the highest values of E/N heavy particles do not
contribute to the excitation under the present conditions. The absolute excitation
coefficients for the studied levels of xenon are to our knowledge the only experimental data
available in the literature.
PACS: 52.20.Fs – Electron collisions / 52.25.Rv – Emission, absorption, and scattering of visible and infrared radiation / 52.80.Dy – Low-field and Townsend discharges
© EDP Sciences, Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag, 2000