Radio Frequency Spectroscopy of Penning Ions: Measurement of Ion and Molecular Lifetimes.
Abstract
The optical emission from additive impurity ions in a fast flowing helium afterglow created in a Penning ionizing collision with helium metastable atoms has been examined in the spectral range 2000-6000A. If the helium metastable atoms are optically oriented, the resulting spin conservation induces an equivalent polarization in the Penning ions and electrons. The polarization transfer to a variety of ions has been investigated, and techniques have been developed to observe the magnetic resources of excited atomic and molecular ions. The lifetimes of the rotational levels of the A doublet Sigma state of CO(+) and the B doublet Sigma(-) state of CH have been measured. The effects of level crossings and tunneling on lifetimes of the states have been observed and the predissociation probabilities measured. Lifetimes of the lower vibronic levels of the singlet A2 state of formaldehyde have been measured. Lifetime and pressure quenching slopes agree with earlier work. Long lifetime cascade components were also observed in this system. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- AD0786768
Entities
People
- Laird D. Schearer
- Richard A. Anderson
Organizations
- Missouri University of Science and Technology