Cross sections for the quenching of lead resonance radiation

Abstract

Pb atoms were excited and studied by optical techniques using signal averaging and phase sensitive detection. Cross sections for the quenching of the $^{3}P_{1}^{o}$ excited state of Pb were measured by observing the reduction of the atomic fluorescence as a function of foreign gas pressure. The cross sections for the following quenchers measured at 900\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K were (in ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{2}$) for ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$, 18; CO, 27; ${\mathrm{CO}}_{2}$, 63; and for ${\mathrm{CH}}_{4}$, 55 with an estimated uncertainty of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 20%. Upper limits on the quenching cross sections of Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe, ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ were also measured.