A LABORATORY STUDY OF GASES AND VAPORS EASILY PHOTOIONIZED IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE
Abstract
The research was primarily for the purpose of finding certain gases and vapors which could be easily photoionized in the upper atmosphere. Since the point of release of these gases by a rocket was to be in the neighborhood of 100 km, their photoionization would be produced by solar radiation in the neighborhood of Lyman-alpha (1216A). For this purpose two groups of vapors were chosen for laboratory investigation of their respective photoabsorption and photoionization cross sections: (1) 10 organic vapors: ethane, propane, n-butane,n-pentane, ethylene, propylene, cis-butene 2, 1,3-butadiene, acetylene, and cyclopropane, and (2) the vapors of the alkali metals and of the alkali earths. In the first case, each was subjected to monochromatic radiation in the energy range h nu equals 9 to 25 ev provided by a Seya-type vacuum monochromator. With this radiation, absorption cross sections and photoionization cross sections were measured. In the second case, new experimental results were provided on the absorption coefficients of sodium vapor between 1800A and 1080A. A very strong absorption peak was observed at 1400A. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 15, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0262728
Entities
People
- G.l. Weissler
Organizations
- University of Southern California