Density dependence of molecular autoionization in a cold gas
- 14 September 2000
- journal article
- letter
- Published by IOP Publishing in Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
- Vol. 33 (20) , L655-L662
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-4075/33/20/101
Abstract
Molecular autoionization (MAI) is a Penning-like process involving high Rydberg state electrons from two neighbouring excited atoms and can be the dominant mode of free electron production in a cold excited gas. The density of a gas may be determined employing the sensitivity of MAI to the average inter-ionic separation RN. We show by explicit calculation that a sharp correlation exists between the gas density and Rydberg state quantum number n, manifested through an abrupt increase in the number of ejected electrons as n is increased to a critical value nth = RN1/2/2. The MAI electrons have discrete energies allowed by energy conservation, at 6/n4 Ry, 2/n3 Ry, 4/n3 Ry, and so on.Keywords
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