Production of an Intense Atomic Beam of Barium in Metastable States

1 November 1972

journal article
research article
Published by AIP Publishing in Review of Scientific Instruments

Vol. 43 (11) , 1632-1635
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1685510

Abstract

A device for producing an intense atomic beam of barium in metastable states has been developed. The population density of the states is measured by the resonance fluorescence method. The atoms are excited by an electric discharge in such a way that the atomic beam traverses the discharge plasma. The cross‐section for excitation of barium by electron collisions is assumed to be as large as that for cesium. The efficiency of metastable atom production is estimated to be about 70%, and an atom flux of 4×10¹⁵ sec⁻¹ cm⁻² is obtained. The device is useful in forming a photoionized barium plasma using ordinary light sources.

Keywords

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit:

Measurement of Barium Vapor Density
The Journal of Chemical Physics, 1969
Fully-Ionized Barium Plasma Source
Review of Scientific Instruments, 1967
Ion Density Measurement in a Barium Plasma by Scattering of Resonance Radiation
Physics of Fluids, 1964
The Absorption Spectrum of Shock-excited Barium
Proceedings of the Physical Society, 1962