STUDIES OF METASTABLE ATOMS AND MOLECULES USING BEAM TECHNIQUES.
Abstract
The report describes work on (1) laboratory study of certain atomic collision processes of interest in upper atmosphere physics, and (2) analysis of certain phenomena of the aurora and airglow in terms of the collision pro cess involved. The major part of the laboratory work was the study of excitation of metastable atoms and molecules by electron impact upon a thermal molecular beam, coupled with study of radiation from the molecules thus excited and from other molecules to which they may transfer energy in collision. In a separate experiment investigating the production of negative ions at heated metal surfaces (as a possible ion source for collision studies) a study was made of reactions of C12 and HC1 on a hafnium surface in the temperature range 1300K to 2200K. A similar study was made with 02. On the atmospheric side of the work, the main inquiry was on the excitation of low-lying states of atmospheric molecules by the high energy tail of the energy distribution of ambient ionospheric electrons. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0607056
Entities
People
- Nathaniel P. Carleton
Organizations
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory