Near-resonant light scattering and fluorescence in a dense high-temperature plasma

Abstract

Near-wing Rayleigh scattering, its polarization properties, and the collision-induced fluorescence from sodium atoms are studied in a high-pressure (>1 atm) high-temperature (>5000 K) metal-halide arc plasma. The collision-induced fluorescence gives a broad spectrum near the D1 and D2 resonance lines. The Rayleigh scattering yields a narrow peak at the laser wavelength. Due to the trapping and the collisional quenching of the fluorescence, the Rayleigh scattering is dominant. This scattering is used to determine local Na-densities.