Electron-Impact Excitation Out of the Metastable Levels of Argon and Other Rare Gas Atoms

COFFEE_KLATCH · Invited

Abstract

In a typical low-temperature plasma, the primary mechanism for populating excited levels is electron-atom collisions. While the vast majority of atoms are typically in their ground state, the few atoms in long-lived metastable levels can also serve as targets of the incident electrons. Indeed, in a typical plasma the excitation rate out of the metastable levels into select upper levels can surpass the excitation rate from the ground state. I will review our group's measurements of the excitation cross sections out of the metastable levels of neon, argon, krypton, and xenon. In addition to their applications in plasma modeling, the study of these cross sections has also been interesting from a fundamental collision-physics perspective.

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Authors

  • John B. Boffard

    Nagoya University, Nagoya Univ., NU-Eco Eng, Meijo Univ., Aichi Inst. Tech., Tohoku Univ., Univ.of Tokyo, Saitama Univ., Saitama Small Enterprise Prom. Corp., Dept. of Biomed. Eng., Musashi Inst. of Technol., Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, OH, WVU, Morgantown, WV, Department of Physics, Old Dominion University, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Institut f\'ur Niedertemperatur Plasmaphysik, Greifswald, Germany, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Dept. of Physics, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, School of EPS - Chemistry, Heriot-Watt University, UK, School of Pharmacy and iEPSAM, Keele University, UK, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, UK, Plasma \& Surface Analysis Division, Hiden Analytical Ltd., UK, Institute of Physics, Belgrade, Serbia, School of Electrical Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia, Katagiri Engineering, Meijo University, Dong-A University, UES, Dayton, OH, AFRL, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia, West Virginia University, Charles University in Prague, Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i., USTHB, LECTCM, PO. Box 32 El Alia, BabEzzouar, Algiers, Algeria, CDTA, Department of Physics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, Innovative Scientific Solutions, Inc., Dayton, OH, Department of Physics, KAIST and Courant Institute, NYU, Department of Physics, KAIST, Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, Centre for Antimatter-Matter Studies, SoCPES, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia, Center for Plasma Science and Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, University of Missouri-Rolla, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Australian National University, Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics, Applied Materials, Sandia National Laboratories, Lam Research Corporation, UC Berkeley, Prometheus Energy Company, Army Research Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Berkeley Research Associates, Commonwealth Technologies, Inc., Naval Research Laboratory, Philips Lighting (CDL), Eindhoven, The Netherlands, Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Nagoya University, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland, Katagiri Engineering Co., Ltd., NU EcoEngineering Co., Ltd., NU System Co., Ltd., Wakayama University, Department of Physics, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, MS 183-601, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA, Old Dominion University, NIE and Institute of Advanced Studies, Nanyang Technological University, The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee - 247667, India, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany, University of Antwerpen, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium, Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia, Tokyo Electron, Hokkaido University, OSRAM GmbH, Munich, Germany, INP Greifswald, Germany, Departamento de Fisica, Universidade da Madeira, Largo do Municipio, 9000 Funchal, Portugal, Ruhr-University Bochum, RSPhysSE, ANU, Australia, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, Ecole Polytechnique, France, Nanotechnology Research Institute, University of Ulster, Newtownabbey, Institute for Plasma and Atomic Physics, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, DF, UM, Braga, Auburn University, Research group PLASMANT, Dep. of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Belgium, Open University, University of Glasgow, Dept. of Physics \& Astronomy, Kelvin Building, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK, EM2C, Ecole Centrale, LPTP, Ecole Polytechnique, France, State University, St Petersburg, INP-Greifswald, Ecole Polytechnique, Queen`s University Belfast, Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Ulster, University of Duisburg-Essen, Applied Materials, Inc., LPTP, Ecole Polytechnique, Kyoto University, Center for Plasma Science and Technology, Ruhr-Universtity Bochum, Germany, Centre for Plasma Physics, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, University of Minnesota, Dublin City University, Institute for Theoretical Electrical Engineering, Ruhr-University Bochum, Institute for Plasma and Atomic Physics, Ruhr-University Bochum, National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology, Dublin City University, Ireland, Centre for Plasma Science and Technology, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, University of Manchester