mJMixing in Oriented4P322Potassium Atoms Induced by Collisions with Inert Gases

The cross sections for the decay of circular and of linear polarization in oriented $4{}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P_{\frac{3}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ potassium atoms, induced in collision with inert-gas atoms, were determined in a series of fluorescence experiments. A modified Zeeman scanning method was used to populate selectively the $m_J$ sublevels of the ${}_{}{}^2{}_{}{}^{}P_{\frac{3}{2}}^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ potassium atoms mixed with inert gases and placed in a strong magnetic field. Measurements of depolarization of the fluorescence, in relation to gas pressures, yielded the following depolarization cross sections: ${\sigma }_1$ (disorientation): K-He, 86 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$; K-Ne, 86 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$; K-Ar, 164 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$; K-Kr, 248 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$; K-Xe, 251 Å. ${\sigma }_2$ (disalignment): K-He, 127 Å; K-Ne, 120 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$; K-Ar, 240 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$, K-Kr, 301 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$, K-Xe, 336 ${\mathrm{\AA }}^2$. The experimental values are in satisfactory agreement with the calculations of Nikitin and Ovchinnikova.