Resonance broadening measurements of atomic oxygen at 130 nm

Abstract

Absorption line profiles have been measured for atomic oxygen at 130.49 nm under conditions dominated by resonance broadening. Atomic samples are prepared by dissociating oxygen in a shock tube, and are probed by tunable vacuum u.v. light generated with a Raman-shifted excimer laser. Linewidths calculated with approximate theoretical models are consistent with the current measurements, and limitations of these models are discussed by references to previously reported measurements in noble gases and metallic vapors. To our knowledge, these are the first resonance broadening measurements of atoms which are normally found in diatomics, and thus, have different electron configurations from those studied previously.