Collisions of Electrons with Metastable Atoms of Rare Gases

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This project focuses on electron excitation out of metastable levels of xenon atoms. The investigators will measure electron-impact excitation cross sections out of the metastable levels of xenon into the higher levels. The experimental efforts consist of two parts. The first part is to construct a metastable-atom-beam target. An atomic beam extracted from an ordinary hollow cathode discharge contains metastable atoms, but the density of metastable atoms needed for the experiment is insufficient for the purpose. Therefore part of the atoms in a second metastable level will be transferred into the desired level by laser pumping. In the second part of the experiment an electron beam will be passed through the metastable atoms exciting them to higher levels, and the fluorescence from these higher levels will be utilized to determine the excitation cross sections. The broader impact of the program involves student education as well as efforts in diversity.