Formula omitted] mixing in potassium induced in collisions with noble gas atoms

Abstract

Cross sections for 4 2P 1 2 -4 2P 3 2 mixing in potassium, induced by collisions with noble gas atoms, were determined using the methods of fluorescence spectroscopy. The experiments were carried out at an optical depth of ≤3×10 -2 in the absence of radiation trapping and at noble gas pressures in the mtorr region and yielded the cross sections Q 1(4 2P 1 2 →4 2P 3 2 ) and Q 2(4 2P 1 2 « 4 2P 3 2 ) (in units of 10 -16 cm 2) respectively, as follows: for He, 26.3 and 17.8; for Ne, 6.4 and 4.4; for Ar, 16.0 and 11.2; for Kr, 24.9 and 17.7; for Xe, 44.9 and 31.7. These values supersede those reported previously by Chapman and Krause (1966).