Stark broadening and regularities of ionized neon and argon spectral lines

Abstract

Stark widths of five Ne III, five Ne IV, one Ar III and nine ArIV spectral lines have been measured in a linear-pinch discharge plasma. The results were compared with existing experimental and theoretical results, and used to establish several types of regularities. Electron densities determined with single-wavelength laser interferometry were 2.18·1023 m−3 and 2.80·1023 m−3 in neon and argon plasma, respectively. The electron temperatures determined from the Boltzmann slope of several Ne III spectral lines, and ratios of Ne III to Ne IV or Ar III to Ar IV spectral lines were 59 000 K and 42 000 K in neon and argon plasma, respectively. The investigated spectral lines originate predominantly, from 3s–3p and 3s′–3p′ Ne III and Ne IV, and from 4s–4p and 4s′–4p′ Ar III and Ar IV transition arrays. The emphasis is on the Stark width (θ) dependence on the upper level ionization potential (I), the emitter core net charge (z) and electron temperature (T) for a given electron density. This dependence was found to be of the form: θ=az2T−1/2I−b, wherea andb are constants within(i) several stages of ionization of neon or argon and(ii) within nitrogen like (NI, O II, F III and Ne IV) 3s–3p or phosphorus like (P I, S II, Cl III and Ar IV) 4s–4p transition arrays. The established overall trends were used to predict the Stark widths of univestigated spectral lines originating from the given transition arrays.