Vacuum-ultraviolet emission from proton-excited helium gas

T. E. Stewart, G. S. Hurst, D. M. Bartell, J. E. Parks

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Vacuum-ultraviolet (vuv) studies were made of the emission from helium gas excited by 4-MeV protons, under conditions where the gas purity was monitored by concomitant total-ionization measurements. The relative intensity of the 584- resonance line was studied from 0.01 to 100 Torr. Three continua, near 600, 675, and 800, respectively, were investigated from a few Torr to 800 Torr. Our studies of intensity as a function of pressure are consistent with the interpretation that the 675- continuum is the bound-continuum transition Du+1→Xg+1 in the helium diatomic molecule, where the D state is formed by three-body collisions involving the atomic 2P1 state. Some of the 800- continuum, as well as the narrow continuum near 600, is produced, most likely, from a similar process involving emission from the Au+1 molecular state, created from three-body conversion of a 2S1 atomic state. Certain other details are given on the energy pathways following charged-particle excitation of helium gas, and comments are made on some of the recently published emission data for liquid helium.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1991-1997
Number of pages7
JournalPhysical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Volume3
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1971
Externally publishedYes

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