Deactivation of Neon Metastables by Hydrogenic Impurities

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Abstract
Measurements are reported of the total cross section for deactivation of neon 3P2 and 3P0(2p53s) metastables by inelastic collisions with H2, D2, CH4, and NH3. Observations were conducted by applying the methods of resonance radiation absorption and microwave diagnostics to the afterglow plasma following a weak pulsed discharge in a neon‐hydrogenic impurity mixture. The cross section for 3P2 deactivation by H2 was found to increase from 0.7×10−15 cm2 at 300°K to 2.5×10−15 cm2 at 650°K. The cross section for ionization of H2 by Ne*3P2 collision was found to represent only a fraction of the above. The reaction which dissociates H2 and partly converts the metastable energy into Hα(6563 Å) light has been observed in H2, D2, CH4, and NH3 and may represent a significant contribution to the total deactivation in each case. No Hα light was produced as a result of the destruction of a helium 3S1 metastable by collision with H2.